A 61-year-old worker in Santa Cruz County sustained a fatal job injury after he accidentally got caught in a wood chipper, Bay City News report. The man, who has not yet been identified, was employed with the county Public Works Department and was part of a crew that was doing maintenance and tree work on Whiting Road near Paulsen Road in Watsonville the morning of June 7, 2010. California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) officials said the man was feeding trim wood into a wood chipper at a work site when he somehow got caught in the chipper. He died at the work site. State officials are investigating this tragic accident.


View Larger Map

I offer my deepest condolences to the family, friends and co-workers of this deceased worker for their irreparable loss. My heart goes out to his colleagues who actually witnessed this gruesome accident. Please keep them in your prayers.

Wood Chipper Accidents

Working with wood chippers has a certain degree of risk associated with it. According to a 2005 report by the American Medical Association, wood chippers were responsible for 31 deaths and 2,042 injuries in the 10-year period between 1992 and 2002.

Accident Causes

There are more questions than answers in this case. Was this accident the result of worker error or inattention? Was this accident caused by a defective product? In other words, did the wood chipper malfunction? Did the worker have sufficient knowledge and training to operate the wood chipper? Did the county department that employed the worker develop and implement written emergency procedures to stop the machine in case of malfunctioning? I trust Cal/OSHA officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine whose fault this accident was and whether the county department of public works should be cited for any violations.

Third-Party Claim

The family of the deceased worker may have a "third-party claim" here. A "third-party claim" is filed when an injured worker or his family seeks compensation from a party other than the victim's employer. Such a "third party" could be a contractor or sub contractor or the manufacturer of a defective product that caused or contributed to the victim's injuries or death. A third-party claim is usually worth a lot more to families of deceased victims than California workers compensation benefits, which are woefully inadequate and fail to provide fair compensation for injured victims and their families. An experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer will be able to advise families about their legal rights and options in such cases.

What are the biggest challenges faced by workers and their families in the aftermath of a job injury?

The BISNAR|CHASE personal injury law firm is not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call us or another reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free consultation. We provide a free, confidential consultation to not at fault persons named in this article. The free consultation offer extends to family members as well.

Bookmark and Share