Trusting that an employer has done everything within their power to make sure that the working environment is safe and employees are trained can sometimes have devastating consequences. Workplace injuries and wrongful death can result with the use of less then adequate and/or poorly made equipment. A FedEx hub in Tennessee is under scrutiny after another employee is fatally injured; the third death in three years.
During the busy holiday season, it is a given that shipping and mail delivery pick up. But FedEx is under investigation by the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration after a female employee was found dead under a conveyor belt recently. The other fatalities occurred in 2014 when a 19-year-old male employee was crushed by a lift, and in 2015 when a 39-year-old male was crushed by a dolly.
Insight into the situation leads one to believe that the equipment may be sub-par and training may not be as adequate as necessary for the duties performed. Many are urging FedEx Corporation and the manufacturers of the equipment that the company uses to take a closer look at safety specifications. The company is currently under investigation by local police, state regulators and OSHA.
When an employee is injured on the job, workers’ compensation provides benefits to help cover the financial needs of those unable to work due to the work-related injury. Under Tennessee law, the surviving family members of a worker who is killed on the job can file for workers’ compensation death benefits, and may also have separate wrongful death claims in certain circumstances. An attorney who understands employment law, workers’ compensation and wrongful death claims can help grieving families navigate the civil process in pursuit of full legal recourse.
Source: wmcactionnews5.com, “Safety practices questioned after 3rd FedEx employee accidentally killed“, Nov. 24, 2017