Most people who live in Western Pennsylvania expect that their workplaces are safe. Sadly, this is not always the case and each day workers throughout the nation suffer injuries of varying degrees of seriousness. While workplace accidents can leave employees injured, in the worst cases they lead to death. In 2011 a Pennsylvania man was killed while he worked at a steam plant.

The 45-year-old man's death involved an industrial crane accident. The crane, which was equipped with a 300-pound iron hook, was reportedly negligently operated and maintained. More specifically, one investigation into the matter determined that the crane was not inspected as often as it was supposed to be. At the time of the fatal construction accident, the man, who was an electrician, was installing equipment. The heavy hook crushed the man when a cable snapped and it fell from approximately 60 feet above.

The deceased man left behind five children.

Following the incident, the man's family filed a lawsuit against several entities: the construction site's general contractor, the company that had been contracted to inspect and repair the crane, and the steam plant which was also the crane operator. The case, which was supposed to go to trial this month, recently settled for $17 million.

The majority of the settlement, $15 million, will be paid by the steam plant and crane operator. The general contractor is responsible for $500,000 and the repair company, $1.5 million.

Though this construction accident was a tragic event, fortunately they do not all end this way. When a worker is hurt on the job and survives, it is possible that individual might seek workers' compensation benefits. These benefits provide compensation to an injured employee while he or she recovers to the point that they can once again work.

Source: The Pennsylvania Record, "Workplace wrongful death yields $17 million settlement, reportedly highest in Phila. History," Jon Campisi, Feb. 18, 2014