A workplace accident in Chicago claimed the life of a 41-year-old man on Friday. David Wehmhoefer lived in Indiana but was employed by the Chicago concrete company Brookfield Iron and Metal. While he was working his shift on Friday, a work-related accident happened at around 2:30 p.m. resulting in the death of Wehmhoefer. The details of the accident have not been released, but the Cook County medical examiner stated that the cause of death was “multiple blunt force trauma”. Wehmhoefer leaves behind a family and two children. The accident is being investigated by the Cook County Sheriff’s Department and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. OSHA stated that their investigation could take six months to complete.
Workplace accidents result in the deaths of thousands of workers every year. OSHA reports that 4,679 individuals were killed in accidents while performing their jobs in 2014. Thousands more sustained injuries that were serious or disabling. While every state’s laws differ regarding worker’s compensation, in Missouri all companies with five or more employees are required to provide worker’s compensation insurance. The insurance provides benefits to injured workers in the form of medical coverage and wage replacement. However, injured workers are often left struggling financially because the wages are replaced at a rate of only 66.6% of their average weekly rate. It is important to consult an experienced St. Louis worker’s compensation lawyer to recover the compensation you deserve.
The worker’s compensation attorneys at Meyerkord & Kurth believe that you should not have to sustain additional damages in the form of finances because the worker’s compensation coverage does not provide what you deserve. We will fight to recover the maximum amount of compensation available while fully communicating with you throughout the case. Contact our office if you have been injured in a workplace accident.