Worker’s Death due to Electrocution in Biloxi Underscores the Dangers of Electrocution Accidents in Mississippi Workplaces
A fatal workplace accident took the life of one worker, and the terrible and unexpected workplace accident underscores just how dangerous electrocution accidents in the workplace can be. According to local news reports, earlier this year on January 16, 42-year-old Kevin Bartley, originally from Foley, Alabama, was working at a worksite off of Oaklawn Road in Biloxi when he suffered an electric shock. Investigators believe that Bartley was tasked with pouring concrete foundations at the worksite and was “using a pump that was held up by a boom to maneuver the concrete in a tight space when the metal boom got to [sic] close to a power line and it arced, electrocuting Bartley.” Bartley was reportedly taken to Singing River hospital in Gulfport for emergency lifesaving medical treatment, but he, tragically, passed away at the hospital.
Dangers of Electrocution at Mississippi Workplaces and Worksites
One of the things that the terrible work-related death of Kevin Bartley demonstrates is that electrocution accidents can happen virtually anywhere where there is live electricity and where workers are working – even outside at outdoor construction worksites and workplaces. Electrocution accidents can be seriously dangerous, and, as the recent case demonstrates, can even be fatal. According to Electrical Safety Foundation International, “Contact with or exposure to electricity continues to be one of the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries in the United States. Between 2011 and 2021, there were a total of 1,201 workplace fatalities involving electricity reported by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and 1,653 electrical fatalities reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. During this period, 69% of all electrically related fatalities happened in non-electrically related occupations.” Accordingly, workers who work with live electricity – even in traditionally “non-electrically related” jobs – must be extremely careful when working with electricity and equipment that uses electricity, and employers should make sure that workplaces are safe and sound for workers who work with electricity and electric equipment on the job.
Which State’s Laws Apply to Workers’ Compensation Cases?
The case of Kevin Bartley also raises important questions about which state’s worker’s compensation laws apply when a worker that resides in one state is injured or killed on the job in another state. The answer is that, under state workers’ compensation laws, the answer will depend on the facts and circumstances of each case. Accordingly, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer if you were injured in a serious workplace accident in Mississippi.
If you were injured in a serious workplace accident in Mississippi and you need legal help, contact the experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at the law firm Lunsford, Baskin & Priebe, PLLC. The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at the law firm of Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help victims of workplace accidents get worker’s compensation benefits due to them. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak with a lawyer about your case now.
Source:
wxxv25.com/alabama-man-electrocuted-while-working-construction-in-biloxi/
