It is always unfortunate when someone is injured on the job. But when a personal injury turns fatal, it becomes a terrible tragedy and a burden on the family of the victim. An Ontario man recently lost his life at work in an unusual accident still under investigation.
On Nov. 15, 2016, emergency workers responded to a call from a luxury hotel in downtown Toronto around 7 p.m. They found a 35-year-old man suffering from serious head injuries resulting from some manner of elevator accident. Co-workers had attempted to revive him with a defibrillator, and firefighters performed CPR on the man. They were unable to resuscitate him, and he was pronounced dead at the scene.
The Ministry of Labour has sent an engineer and two investigators to the hotel in an effort to find the cause of the accident. No other incidents have been reported at this hotel in 2016. It was noted, however, that the company responsible for servicing the elevator was fined $500,000 by the Technical Standards and Safety Authority in 2011 for failing to properly inspect an elevator after a 2006 accident injured five people. It was the largest fine in the history of the TSSA.
Should the investigation reveal the accident was caused by negligence on the part of either the hotel or the elevator service company, charges and legal proceedings will likely take place. In particular, the family of the victim, who will suffer emotionally and financially, may choose to seek compensation. An attorney experienced with personal injury cases in Ontario may be able to advise any man or woman in a similar situation about their legal options.
Source: CBC News – Toronto, “Hotel worker killed in elevator accident suffered serious head injuries“, Trevor Dunn & Chris Glover, Nov. 16, 2016