According to law enforcement authorities, an employee of the Harlingen Irrigation District lost his life in a work-related accident that occurred on Jan. 8. The accident occurred north of Harlingen on private land off of Brazil Road near the Bass Pro shop. Officials with the Harlingen Irrigation District stated that the man was performing a job on the land for the company.
The man reportedly was working with a backhoe on the job. The backhoe somehow overturned, pinning the man underneath. Emergency responders pronounced him dead at the scene of the accident. The accident resulted in the closure of Brazil Road in order to facilitate the movement of emergency vehicles in and out of the area. The man’s identity was not released. Investigators with the Cameron County Sheriff’s Office are in charge of investigating the man’s death. It is unknown whether or not the man left any family behind.
When people are killed in workplace accidents, their spouses and children may be suddenly left without the loved one’s income. Additionally, they will have unexpected burial and funeral expenses and they may have medical expenses for any treatment the worker received prior to his or her death. Because the families of workers can be significantly negatively impacted by the death of a loved one in an accident at work, state workers’ compensation laws allow them to file claims with the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier.
Through filing a workers’ compensation claim, the families of those killed in a workplace accident may be entitled to receive compensation to pay for their funeral and burial expenses, any medical expenses their loved one may have incurred prior to death and monthly income-replacement payments. In the event the claim is denied, a workers’ compensation attorney can provide assistance in a subsequent appeals process.
Source: KRGV.com, “Irrigation District Worker Killed in Harlingen”, Jan. 8, 2015