While we see regular reports about workplace accidents that caused injury or death in the construction and industrial industries, workers in many other fields face hazardous workplace situations. It is not uncommon for smaller industries to fail to recognize the potential dangers, and safety regulations are often ignored. Despite the size of the operation and the type of activities that take place, company owners in Pennsylvania have a duty to prevent work injury and ensure the safety of employees.
A mechanic at a Philadelphia zoo recently lost his life while working on a golf cart. The man was killed when a golf cart landed on top of him. The area where the repairs were done is away from the public area, and it is not known whether there were any witnesses to what happened. The mechanic was found under the golf cart and was rushed to a local hospital where he sadly succumbed to his injuries within an hour.
Despite the lack of evidence to indicate what caused the accident, zoo officials have launched an investigation to shed more light on the circumstances that led to the tragic death of the 59-year-old mechanic. A spokesman from the zoo expressed condolences to the surviving family who now has to face the high costs of a funeral and burial. If the deceased man was the sole provider of income in the household, the family may struggle to get by without his income.
Most workers in Pennsylvania are covered by the workers’ compensation insurance fund, and this worker’s family may be eligible for death benefits from the fund. They may also choose to pursue wrongful death claims against any third party whose negligence is deemed to have directly caused or materially contributed to a fatal work injury. Thorough investigation of the fatal accident may uncover a mechanical problem with the golf cart or some other maintenance issue that may have caused the worker’s death.
Source: pennlive.com, “Philly Zoo worker killed in bizarre golf cart mishap“, John Luciew, Sept. 30, 2014