Most of us don’t expect to get injured or killed at work because we expect our office or worksite to be a safe place to do our jobs. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Recently, a man in Milton, NY was killed at his job in a paper manufacturing facility.
Anthony Smith, died in one of Cottrell’s Paper Company’s compactors on September 18th, according to the Saratoga County Sheriff’s Office as reported by the Times Union. Investigators are still searching for the cause of this tragedy.
It is important to recognize that people going to work should have a reasonable expectation of safety, and companies who fall short should face the full consequences of the law. When someone dies or suffers life-changing injuries at work, it doesn’t just impact the victim, but also the victim’s family and friends forever in ways that can not be compensated by money alone.
New York law requires adherence to strict safety protections at workplaces. Some of the most important statutory protections are Sections 200, 240 and 241 of the New York State Labor Law and New York’s Industrial Code Regulations. These safety laws require that all property owners, contractors and their agents ensure that workplaces are “constructed, equipped, arranged, operated and conducted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection to the lives, health and safety of all persons employed therein.” They also require that “all machinery, equipment, and devices in such places shall be so placed, operated, guarded, and lighted as to provide reasonable and adequate protection.”
If you are injured at work, you should seek immediate medical care and report your injury in writing to your employer within 30 days. This is crucial if you are eligible to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits. It is important that the work accident is investigated in a timely manner and that eyewitness testimony and physical evidence is preserved.
You should also contact an experienced industrial, construction and workplace injury lawyer as soon as possible. You may be able to recover damages beyond the limited benefits available through Workers’ Compensation.
