As a teenager was completing his first day of work, he was killed in a work-related accident. The accident happened in Gastonia, North Carolina when 19-year-old Mason Scott Cox was working for his employer Crawford Tree Service of Belmont cutting down trees in a yard when he was pulled into a wood chipper. Tragically, Cox was pronounced dead at the scene of the accident on Saturday. The accident is being investigated by local authorities and the Occupational Safety and Healthy Administration.
There are many occupations that are considered dangerous, such as police officers, firefighters, and construction workers. However, anyone can be injured or killed in a workplace accident. In 2014, there were 4,679 fatalities caused by work-related accidents, according to OSHA. While the number of work-related fatalities is staggering, thousands more suffer work-related injuries. If you are employed at a company with five or more employees in Missouri, you are entitled to worker’s compensation insurance benefits. The benefits provide the injured worker with compensation for expenses related to medical treatment and lost wages incurred from being off work. The wage replacement rate is only 66.6% of the worker’s weekly wage causing some families to struggle financially. You are entitled to the compensation you deserve, and by consulting a St. Louis worker’s compensation attorney can fight for your rights.
The experienced St. Louis worker’s compensation attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth believe that you should not have to suffer additional damages due to being injured in an accident in which you are not liable. We have handled thousands of accident cases and will use our knowledge, skills, and resourced to obtain the justice you deserve. If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a workplace accident, contact our office today for a free no-obligation consultation.