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OSHA to investigate cause of death caused by snowplow

The winter of 2017-2018 has dumped record amounts of snow on Connecticut. As a result, the safety hazards usually associated with winter – poor visibility, slippery spots, snow plows operating in limited space – have been exacerbated. Workplace injuries have also increased across the state, as demonstrated by the death of a worker in Wallingford that appears to have been caused by a snow plow.

The accident occurred on the campus of Bristol-Meyers Squibb, The employee of a landscaping company working on the BMS grounds was killed by a snowplow, but the exact circumstances have not been revealed by any of the involved parties. A spokesman for the United States Department of Labor has announced that the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will open an investigation into the accident. The principal focus of the investigation will be whether either of the contractors, the landscaping firm Brightview Landscaping Service, Inc. and the snow clearing firm, Cherry Hill Construction, Inc. were following safety regulations at the time of the accident.

The victim appears to have been the employee of Brightview, which means that Brightview must pay workers’ compensation benefits to the worker’s family. If either BMS or Cherry Hill was at fault for the accident, the victim’s family may bring a wrongful death action against them.

Anyone who has been injured or lost a loved one in a workplace accident may wish to consult an experienced personal injury attorney for an analysis of the facts of the accident and an evaluation of the likelihood of recovering damages in a workers’ compensation claim or in a civil suit against third parties.

Source: My Record Journal, “Landscaper killed after being struck by plow at BMS campus in Wallingford,” Devin Leith-Yessian, April 5, 2018

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