Worker Killed in Biloxi After Electrocution Accident on the Job – Learn About Your Rights Under Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Laws

A terrible and unexpected workplace accident took the life of one worker in Biloxi earlier this year, prompting workers across the state to wonder about their rights and options under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws. According to local news reports, WXXV25, 42-year-old worker Kevin Bartley, originally from Foley, Alabama, was working at a worksite off of Oaklawn Road in Biloxi when he was electrocuted and was killed. Reports are sparse when it comes to the details of what exactly led up to the fatal workplace accident, but it appears that Bartley was working at the site pouring concrete foundations when he was electrocuted. He was believed to have been “using a pump that was held up by a boom to maneuver the concrete in a tight space when the metal boom got too close to the power line and it arced,” leading to the electrocution of Bartley. Bartley was transported to the hospital for emergency medical treatment, but he, sadly, later died there. The horrific and fatal workplace accident is a wake-up call to every worker in the state that works with electricity on the job.

Electrocution in the Workplace – The Basics

In light of the fatal workplace accident that took the life of one worker after he was electrocuted, it is important for Mississippi workers to know the basics of on-the-job electrocution injuries. Electrocution injuries, like the one suffered by the worker who was recently killed in Biloxi, can easily be fatal. There are four types of electrical injuries that Mississippi workers should be on the watch for: electrocution, electric shock, burns/arc blast, and falls from heights. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) notes that only qualified persons that are trained should work “on or near energized parts,” and that unqualified workers and other persons should not work on any energized parts and should also stay 10 feet away from energized parts on the job.

Getting Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Biloxi

Workers in Biloxi should also be aware that if they are injured on the job and they cannot return to work, they may be entitled to important workers’ compensation benefits to keep them on their feet while they heal from their injury. Under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, most Mississippi workers who are injured on the job and are disabled from working are entitled to Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits, including wage replacement compensation, medical expense reimbursement, and other important benefits. In order to determine whether you are entitled to Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits for your workplace injury, it is best to speak with an experienced Biloxi workers’ compensation lawyer as soon as possible.

The experienced Biloxi workers’ compensation lawyers at the law firm Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC are here to help injured Mississippi workers get workers’ compensation benefits due to them. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak with a lawyer about your case now.

Source:

cdc.gov/niosh/electrical-safety/about/index.html