Pennsylvania workers may be subjected to dangerous working conditions due to the large amount of factories and associated industrial accidents. However, a recent mining accident in Colorado was the site of the latest large-scale workplace accident.
The mining accident occurred in southwestern Colorado. The Ouray County Sheriff’s Office received an emergency call pertaining to the accident at about 7:20 on the morning of the accident. Miners were trapped underground, and two of them died from carbon monoxide poisoning amid mysterious circumstances. Authorities have not yet been able to determine the type of accident that occurred. However, they have been able to rule out an explosion and mine collapse as a potential cause for the accident that occurred in Revenue-Virginius. The accident investigation is still ongoing, with federal mining regulators taking the lead. They are looking into the possibility of whether a blast that occurred the day before the accident played a role.
The miners who died as a result of the mining accident include a 59-year-old man from Durango and a 34-year-old man from Montrose. Nineteen other employees were transported to the hospital. Four of them were eventually admitted to the hospital, and they are currently listed in fair condition. The accident is the largest mining disaster in Colorado since 1981, when an explosion took the lives of 15 individuals by Redstone.
If the accident was caused by an employer violating safety standards or through the negligent act of having employees work in known dangerous conditions, an injured worker may pursue a personal injury lawsuit. Additionally, families of victims who die in such accidents might pursue a wrongful death claim. Through such a cause of action, a family may be able to receive compensation for medical and funeral expenses.
Source: USA Today, “2 killed, 19 injured in Colorado mining accident“, November 18, 2013