All jobs hold some degree of risk. However, there are those that are more risky than others, especially a job that requires a worker to spend a great deal of time traveling on interstates. Unfortunately, one man was recently involved in a fiery crash in Pennsylvania that caused a fatal work injury. .
The incident happened one night in late November. According to reports, a 48-year-old man was driving a tractor-trailer southbound on a Pennsylvania interstate. The truck was pulling over 8,000 gallons of gasoline. Reports indicate that a trailer attached to a northbound vehicle became detached and crossed into oncoming traffic where it struck the front of the tractor-trailer.
Police believe that the driver of the truck attempted to avoid the trailer, causing the vehicle to strike a guide rail and overturn which caused a fire that shut down the interstate overnight. The driver pulling the trailer believed to have caused the accident reportedly did not remain at the scene, and police are asking for anyone with information to contact them. A person speaking for the company that employed the deceased victim claims that he could not have avoided the crash.
As this Pennsylvania case appears to illustrate, even workers who follow suggested safety guidelines can suffer a work injury. As a result, states require employers to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage to help victims of such accidents — including surviving family members in the event of a fatality — cope with the financial ramifications of their loss. Rather than negotiating with insurance companies during a time of great adjustment and stress, many victims ask an experienced professional for assistance throughout the compensation process.
Source: heraldmailmedia.com, “Police name tractor-trailer driver in Thursday’s fatal crash on I-81“, Darcy Costello, Nov. 25, 2016