If you have suffered an injury at work or on the job, you may be entitled to receive additional benefits through workers compensation. In North Carolina, this may include time lost from work, disability (full or partial), and medical bills.
ASHEVILLE — Five of the 53 fatal workplace accidents statewide last year happened in Western North Carolina, including the deaths of two public workers here, according to the N.C. Department of Labor.
The number of work-related fatalities increased slightly compared with 2010, when there were 50, including six in WNC.
“The real tragedy is that all of these fatalities could have been avoided by having proper safety and health training, which we provide free of charge,” Labor Commissioner Cherie Berry said.
Buncombe and Henderson counties each had two on-the-job deaths in 2011, and Haywood County had one, according to the preliminary report released this month. The victims were not named, but they were identified by age, race, gender, employer and date of the accident.
Statewide, construction was the leading industry group for fatalities with 16. Three of the WNC fatalities happened in the construction industry, including the death of John Mark Crowe, a supervisor with the Metropolitan Sewerage District of Buncombe County.
Crowe, a 46-year-old Fletcher man, was struck by a backhoe as his crew worked on inserting a manhole on McDowell Street in Asheville. The sewerage district was cited for a violation of specific excavation requirements related to the exposure of falling loads, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration website.
The safety standard says: “No employee shall be permitted underneath loads handled by lifting or digging equipment. Employees shall be required to stand away from any vehicle being loaded or unloaded to avoid being struck by any spillage or falling materials.”
City police said while the backhoe bucket was suspended in the air, the hydraulic line broke and the bucket fell on Crowe’s head and shoulders as he was leaning in to survey work being done.
The sewerage district was issued a $4,900 fine in November, according to OSHA’s website. The fine was lowered to $3,000 in December after an informal settlement.
Crowe’s accident happened four days after Fire Department Capt. Jeff Bowen was killed July 28 in a fire at 445 Biltmore Center. His cause of death was listed as a heart attack after inhalation of smoke and heat.
A State Department of Transportation Dump Truck, pulling a large trailer carrying a steam roller, lost control on a mountain road, crossed the center-line and struck Kelly Crabtree’s van head-on...
Read More#
"Thank you John, and all the staff at The Law Offices of John M. McCabe, P.A., for all your help over the years since my accident and for your friendship! I am truly grateful!"
At The Law Offices of John M. McCabe, P.A., we have extensive experience in representing injured workers. We will work hard to protect you from the insurance company's tricks and traps.
