A 38-year-old Dallas man recently died in a construction accident in Georgetown. The accident took place at a pipeline construction site two miles off SH 29 between I-35 and Ronald Reagan Boulevard.
The worker, who was working for Pumpco Pipeline Construction, was walking beside a large construction machine after placing a pipeline and covering it with soil. A man driving the construction machine, used to smooth dirt, did not notice two workers walking close by. The driver ran into one of the men.
The worker was fatally injured and died a short time after being struck.
Death in the Workplace
A large percentage of work-related fatalities take place on construction sites. In 2015, according to OSHA, construction-related accidents were responsible for 21.4 percent of worker fatalities.
More than half of construction-related deaths (64.2 percent as of 2015) were related to the “Fatal Four”: falls, struck by object, electrocutions and caught-in/between. Through rigorous safety protocols and enforcement, eliminating the Fatal Four could save over 600 lives every year.
The family members of those who die on construction sites are able to seek one of two actions. One is a wrongful death action. A wrongful death claim is a lawsuit to recover for harm caused to the family as a result of the loss of a loved one. A survivor action is a lawsuit seeking damages for the pain and suffering of the family member prior to death.
Families may also be eligible for workers’ comp benefits as a result of a loved one’s death. To figure out which action to pursue, discuss your case with a wrongful death attorney.
