In many lines of work in California, the risk of injury often goes hand in hand with an individual’s work responsibilities. However, some lines of work carry with them an increased chance of suffering serious, if not fatal, injuries. An arborist was recently fatally injured on the job, authorities said.
The man, who was in his 20s, was killed on a recent Tuesday afternoon due to being struck by a log eight inches in diameter that had fallen from the top of a tree. A tree-cutting company the man worked for was engaged in chopping down a large pine tree in Sebastopol, according to the sheriff and fire officials. The company’s owner was in the tree, around 80 feet above the ground, while the victim was standing below him.
After all of the branches were removed, a large portion of the tree’s top was cut off. It tumbled down to the ground below, striking the victim. The owner immediately climbed down the tree and proceeded to cut the fallen log off of the victim. Unfortunately, by the time the emergency crews were on the scene, the victim was already dead, according to the statement.
If an individual has lost a loved one due to being fatally injured on the job in California, he or she might be entitled to receive death benefits through a workers’ compensation claim. Although this compensation cannot bring the victim back, it can, however, help with end of life expenses such as paying for at least a portion of burial expenses. The victim’s family or loved ones often consult an experienced workers’ compensation attorney to assist them in filing the claim so that they may sooner return to properly grieving their loss.
Source: pressdemocrat.com, “Arborist killed by falling log near Sebastopol”, Paul Payne, Aug. 18, 2015