Although some lines of work are inherently more dangerous than others, accidents can happen to all kinds of workers, in all kinds of workplaces. Louisiana’s workers’ compensation system is designed to help injured workers and their families in many types of work and many types of workplaces.
In a recent tragic accident, one Louisiana worker was killed and another badly injured when they were electrocuted while hanging lights for the Christmas season. According to a news report, the two men involved were employees of the town of Springhill, Louisiana, and were operating a lift basket at the time of the accident. Police became aware of a problem when electric power failed at a nearby police station. A city employee then came running into the station to ask for help. One worker was declared dead at the scene. The other was sent to a hospital for treatment.
News reports did not give full details of what happened, but raised the possibility that the lift basket came in contact with a power line, causing the men to be electrocuted.
Electrocution is a common hazard for workers operating lift machines. According to some sources, about 26 American workers die every year in electrocution accidents involving aerial lifts. That number amounts to more than 2% of all deaths in the construction industry.
Workers’ compensation benefits help the injured to pay for their medical treatment. The benefits can also provide injured workers with some income while they are recovering and unable to return to work. In cases involving a fatal accident, workers’ compensation can provide benefits for the workers’ surviving family members, to help them cope with the sudden loss of their loved one’s income.