Florida Personal Injury Lawyers Blog
A 56-year-old Marion County father of three was killed Friday after a front-end loader fell on him while working at Construction Tire & Industrial Supply in Ocala, Florida. The Ocala Police Department and Ocala Fire Rescue Officials were on the scene shortly before 9:30 a.m.
According to the Ocala Star Banner, other employees had used a forklift to lift the front of the loader off the victim before rescue crews arrived. The man was airlifted to Shands at the University of Florida in Gainesville in critical condition. He was reported dead by Ocala Police officials around 1 p.m.
The deceased was changing a tire on the loader when the left side gave way and fell on top of him. He was trapped by the Volvo L90E wheel loader with an operating weight of 33,290 pounds.
Officials with OSHA in Jacksonville continued their investigations until the late afternoon.
Some jobs are naturally risky forms of work. Workers’ Compensation laws happen to exist for the protection of employees who get injured on a work site or in the line of performing their jobs. Florida’s worker’s compensation does pay a portion of the injured worker’s wages and medical bills. Generally, these payments prohibit suing the employer, but when a third party is responsible, such as the builder of defective equipment and machinery, exceptions can be applied to hold other negligent individuals or businesses liable when they may have performed a task that caused the worker’s injury to occur. These compensation laws also entitle family members of the deceased to death benefits.
If you are mourning the loss of a loved one due to a workplace death, contact the Florida Wrongful Death Attorneys at the Law Offices of Whittel & Melton, LLC online or call 1-866-608-5LAW (5529).