According to the Department of Labor, more than 4,800 Americans died in work-related accidents during the 2015 calendar year, and some of those tragic losses occurred right here in Pennsylvania. Although some occupations suffer higher work-related deaths than others, any person can be involved in a fatal incident while performing the duties of his or her job.
Statistics offered by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration state that in 2015, around 13 people died while doing their jobs each and every day. OSHA claims to have completed almost 32,000 federal workplace inspections during 2016 and an additional 43,000 state plan inspections during the same year. Inspections undertaken by OSHA examine allegations of unsafe working conditions as well as inquiries into safety issues when injuries and deaths occur at workplaces.
The work of OSHA is important and has improved safety for American workers. For example, in 1970, around 30 Americans died each day from work-related harm; that is 17 more than the figure offered for daily worker deaths in 2015. However, too many individuals are still losing their lives while on the job, and as a result, American families are bearing significant burdens when workplace harm causes them to lose loved ones.
When a worker dies while performing the responsibilities of a job, any family members may have options for recovering damages. They may be able to seek compensation for the decedent’s medical costs and lost wages, and they may be able to seek damages for pain and suffering, loss of companionship and other serious losses. It can be helpful for families who have lost loved ones to work accidents to consult with personal injury attorneys to become more knowledgeable about their possible claims.