A young man died while he was working to remove trees near power lines in the state of Washington. The accident occurred when a tree that he was removing snapped suddenly. Another tree worker also died recently. Both employees were engaged in special projects aimed at emergency tree removal near power lines, such as dead or dying trees or trees that have been damaged by forest fires. These projects are different from the regular, scheduled maintenance type of tree work that occurs in areas where there are power lines.

All tree work is dangerous, whether it is logging forests, removing trees on private property, clearing dying or dead trees away from power lines, or any other type of project involving trees. In fact, logging consistently ranks near the top of the “deadliest occupations” list that the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics compiles each year. Training and safe work practices are essential to keeping tree workers alive, and investigations into the recent tree work deaths are likely to reveal whether any of those things were lacking in either situation.

The young man who died in Washington had not been doing tree work for very long. He had come to America from Mexico, as many Mexicans do, in search of work that would help him create a good life for his family in Mexico. His friends and family say that he spoke little English, and it is likely that at least some of the investigation into his death will examine the issue of whether he had been trained to do what he was doing and whether he understood the training that he had gotten.

Preliminary information regarding the accident indicates that while the young man was new to the company that he worked for at the time of his death, he had some tree work experience and he was working with an experienced supervisor. He had also received training and orientation, as well as classes to prepare him for work as a “climber.” As the investigation progresses, information is likely to come to light regarding exactly what went wrong and how. There are many ways that tree work accidents can occur, and it is important that each fatality gets treated as the unique case that it is so that the deceased worker’s family, their co-workers, and their employer can get the answers that they need to move forward.

Barrett Law PLLC:  Representing Injured Mississippi Workers

Tree work injury and fatality cases can get complicated. There are often multiple parties involved in an accident, including the company that employed the injured or deceased worker, any company that contracted with that company to have the work performed, the utility company, entity, or the private owner who owns the land where the accident occurred, and more. This aspect of tree work cases alone can make filing a claim for damages complicated and frustrating for accident victims and their families. Fortunately, you do not have to pursue your claim alone. If you got hurt in a tree work accident or you lost a loved one in a tree work accident, get help from a Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorney. Call the Mississippi Workplace Accident Attorneys at Barrett Law PLLC at 1 (601) 790-1505 to learn more.