Dangerous jobs don’t have to be unusual. Employees who make certain Bergen County neighborhoods are supplied with heat, light, trash pickup and cable do work other people often take for granted. You may not associate those jobs with life-threatening hazards, but the dangers exist and accidents are real.
The power went out recently in a portion of Glen Ridge, Essex County. PSE&G dispatched two workers to the area to find out what was wrong. The utility workers found a blown fuse and came upon a man standing on a ladder.
The ladder and the unresponsive man were propped against a utility pole on a residential property. Police officers came to the scene, shortly after the USE&G employees called for help. The two utility employees and officers worked together to bring the man on the ladder to the ground, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim was a 31-year-old Carteret man, a Comcast worker with three sons and a wife due to give birth to a fourth child this summer. NewJersey.com reported an electrical accident was the confirmed cause of death. Among those involved in the investigation are PSE&G, Comcast and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Several funds have been set up for the benefit of the victim’s family, including a fund initiated by the man’s employer. The public’s response to suffering families is often very generous, but the money can run out quickly for costs associated with a loved one’s death.
Workers’ compensation pays death benefits covering a portion of the employee’s lost wages. Other expenses may not be covered like funeral and burial arrangements, final medical costs and the deprivation of companionship and guidance.
In some instances, parties other than employers are responsible for a worker’s death. Surviving family members have a right to file wrongful death claims for negligence against third parties. The result can be much-needed compensation to cover the family’s losses.
Source: NorthJersey.como, “Authorities investigating death of utility worker in Glen Ridge” Erin Roll, Glen Ridge Voice, Feb. 06, 2015