A workers’ compensation suit can be a very serious legal matter for an employer. This can range from a small business to the government of Arizona. Different industries have different standards for their employees. If someone gets into a work accident, they may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. If someone is killed because of negligence from an employer supervisor, a suit may be filed for additional compensation. This is the case in a lawsuit that is currently in court for a wrongful death complaint suit involving the firefighting Granite Mountain Hotshots.
The state of Arizona recently asked the federal judge in the case throw out the wrongful death case of the Granite Mountain Hotshots involving a fire at Yarnell Hill that led to the death of 19 Hotshots in June of 2013. The suit alleges that supervisors were negligent in fire safety rules. The state of Arizona attorneys argued that the case should be dismissed because they were acting as de facto state employees and covered under Arizona’s workers’ compensation law, state law prohibits negligence for firefighters who were fighting a blaze and that the case doesn’t meet violation standards, among other arguments.
An accident can put someone in the hospital and lead to significant medical expenses and lost wages. There are various technical arguments that must comply with both state and federal law for a workers’ compensation or wrongful death case. An employee or surviving family members may have a case if an employer acted in a negligent manner.
Getting workers’ compensation after an accident with a workplace injury can help get someone on the road to rehabilitation. The process may take some time after a serious accident. A negligent employer has additional responsibility and may provide additional compensation following a serious accident with their employees. Medical expenses and lost wages are all important avenues to look at when considering compensation.
Source: AZCentral.com, “State seeks dismissal of suit in Yarnell fire,” Dennis Wagner, Oct. 24, 2014
