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Minnesota man dies in accident involving hay equipment

On Behalf of | Jun 12, 2014 | Workplace Accidents |

According to the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office, a man died in a hay equipment accident near the Dodge Center Municipal Airport on June 6. The fatal incident was reported at approximately 2 p.m., when a passerby observed the man lying motionless beneath the equipment.

Reportedly, emergency responders found that the man, a Wanamingo resident, was trapped under the equipment. Authorities said that he died at the scene. The sheriff’s office and medical examiner’s office are still investigating the incident.

This case might be an example of a workplace accident, based on the information reported by authorities. If so, the family of the deceased man may wish to pursue a workers’ compensation claim.

While workers’ compensation in Minnesota provides workers with replacement income, medical coverage, rehabilitation coverage and financial compensation if they lose the use of a body part temporarily or permanently in a workplace accident, there are also death benefits available to the dependents of workers who die in workplace accidents through the law. These benefits may include weekly compensation that does not exceed the amount that the deceased workers were earning at the time of their death. The weekly allowance might also include insurance benefits. In the event that a deceased worker did not have dependents, the employer may be required to pay $60,000 to the worker’s estate, according to state law.

However, filing a workers’ compensation claim can be a difficult and contentious process. Employers and their insurance carriers may push back against such a claim. For this reason, the dependents of people who die in workplace accidents often retain a workers’ compensation attorney to help file their claim and advocate for their case.

Source: PostBulletin.com, “Wanamingo man killed in implement accident“, Derek Sullivan, June 09, 2014

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