Virginia Logger Killed In On-The-Job Accident
March 12, 2012
The Virginia Department of Labor is investigating an on-the-job accident that left a logger dead in New Kent County Thursday morning. According to reports from WVEC 13 News, the accident happened near the New Kent Highway near Quinton, Virginia, just west of Tunstall Road.
The New Kent County Sheriff’s Department, along with fire and rescue squads, reported receiving a call from a man who was screaming for help in the area. By the time they arrived at the scene, it was too late, as they found the body of the victim pinned beneath a large limb of a tree.
They were able to determine that the body was that of a 61-year-old Brodnax man who owned his own tree service. They believe he was working alone in the area when the large branch fell and crushed him.
The combination of heavy equipment, powerful tools, heavy ropes and cables, and the uncertain nature of the work can cause even the most experienced loggers to become seriously injured. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimate that the fatality rate for loggers in the U.S. is over 16 times higher than the overall fatality rate for all other workers in the U.S. in 2008. The findings have led to stiffer industry safety regulations in recent years.
The Virginia Wrongful Death Lawyers with Lowell “The Hammer” Stanley would like to send their condolences to the family of the victim of this tragic accident.
