Cellphones have many benefits for users, including allowing family members to remain in contact throughout the day. For one woman in California, lack of communication from her husband was her first clue that there may have been something wrong. After learning that he died as a result of workplace injuries, she now has several questions regarding the accident that took his life.
The 30-year-old man was a veteran welder for J. M. Equipment Co. Inc. One day in mid-June, he was reportedly sent to Del Monte Foods in order to repair a loading dock. His wife became concerned when he failed to respond to her texts for several hours. Using an app to find the location of his cell phone, she decided to drive to the plant.
At approximately the same time she was pinging his cell phone, another worker discovered his body, pinned beneath a plate on the loading dock. Other workers claim that the plate was too heavy for one man to lift. While the coroner has informed the woman that her husband died as a result of crush injuries, she wants to know how long he was trapped by the plate and why he was working alone.
The victim also leaves behind a young daughter. The community is rallying behind the family in the form of a fundraiser; however, the financial implications of an unexpected death are often overwhelming. Because of the potential for suffering workplace injuries, employers in California are required to provide workers’ compensation benefits. While these benefits extend to dependent family members in the event of a fatality and cover funeral expenses and lost wages, many people have found it difficult to secure adequate compensation. However, there are experienced professionals who can help fight for fair treatment.
Source: modbee.com, “Wife raises questions after Hilmar man crushed at Del Monte plant”, Erin Tracy, June 20, 2016
