LARGE VEHICLES AND HEAVY EQUIPMENT KILL TWO MEN IN SEPARATE ACCIDENTS IN COTATI AND REDWOOD CITY
There are many hazardous and dangerous professions, including construction and other jobs involving large vehicles and equipment. Although there might be safety precautions put in place, accidents still may occur because of equipment malfunction or human error. Employees who are injured during work may be entitled to worker’s compensation for their injuries, but if they file for worker’s compensation, they may not be able to file third party personal injury lawsuits against their employers. If you are unsure about whether you have a legal cause of action, then you should contact the lawyers of Greenberg & Rudman LLP for a free consultation of your case at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO).
In Cotati on December 21, 2009, Vicente Zaragoza was killed by a front loaded at the Sonoma County dump. He was employed by Sonoma Compost and had worked there 10 years this month. Zaragoza was wearing a safety vest and hat and was sorting through plastics and metal from a pile when he was run over by a front loader while it was backing up. The front loader generally emits a beeping sound when it backs up—Cal/OSHA will be investigating the incident and the equipment for the next couple of months. The driver stated that he simply did not see Zaragoza because he was in a blind spot. In an unrelated accident on December 22, Jose Villaneuva was struck and killed by a dump truck in Redwood City. The accident happened around Marine Parkway and Twin Dolphin Drive when Villaneuva was helping the truck driver back up.
The incident is still under investigation and the cause of the accident is still unknown. Villaneuva was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead. These accidents are very unfortunate and not only affect the victims’ families but also the other employees. If the investigations show that there was equipment malfunction or if there was negligence, then the victims’ families may be able to pursue a lawsuit to be compensated for their injuries. Greenberg & Rudman LLP represents people who have been seriously injured as well as the families of those who have been killed under wrongful death circumstances. We have won over $150 million for our clients in verdicts and settlements. Call us now at 1-800-252-9776 (1-800-ALAWPRO) for a free consultation. Go to www.alawpro.com to read more on construction accidents and personal injury lawsuits.
