Work accidents that result in injuries occur with great frequency across the country, especially on construction sites. Sadly, a fatal work injury is an all too common tragedy seen on numerous job sites every year. Recently, a California man died in an accident that occurred while he was working on a highway, a location that is the cause of many California work accidents.
This particular incident occurred in Acton in early September. A 57-year-old Sylmar man — an employee for Caltrans — was working on the southbound 14 freeway at the time the accident occurred. A spokesman for Caltrans said that the victim was standing outside of his vehicle when he was struck by a passing semi-trailer.
The man had worked for Caltrans for a total of 16 years. His death makes him the 185th Caltrans employee to suffer a fatal work injury while on-the-job. Multiple southbound lanes of the freeway had to be closed for several hours so that the investigation into this incident could take place.
If a California worker dies as the result of suffering a work injury, his or her dependents may file claims for death benefits under the California workers’ compensation insurance program. Funeral and burial expenses are covered, along with an income package that is paid for a stipulated period of time to the deceased worker’s covered dependents. An attorney experienced in handling these types of claims can help the family pursue all available benefits and also investigate whether legal grounds exist for a third party lawsuit in civil court.
Source: abc7.com, “Caltrans worker struck, killed on SB 14 Fwy in Acton“, Marc Cota-Robles, Sept. 1, 2016