Most would agree that even one work related death is one too many. Unfortunately they do regularly occur in Western Pennsylvania and beyond. Recently a man who was working at a wood products shop in Pinecreek Township was involved in a work accident that led to his death.

The incident occurred as the man was using a machine designed to take bark off of pieces of raw lumber. Something happened as he was doing this that resulted in him being pinned in the machine. Though he survived the incident, the 33-year-old man sadly died after being taken to a local hospital. His death was ultimately due to traumatic injuries inflicted on multiple parts of his body including his arm, neck, chest and head.

No one is ever really prepared to lose a loved one in a work accident. Regardless of the type of employment someone is involved in there is an expectation that certain steps will be taken to ensure worker safety. When those steps are not enough it is possible that someone will be hurt. In the worst cases, such as this one, the injuries will be so severe that the worker will not survive.

A death such as this one can have a lasting impact even after the initial shock has worn off. In situations where the person who died was the main breadwinner, families can be thrown into financial turmoil as well. For some of those families the best course of action is to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the employer of the deceased as well as anyone who is responsible for the death.

Source: Centre Daily Times, "Man killed by machine at W. Pa. wood products shop," Associated Press, Feb. 6, 2013