When you think about getting hurt at work, you probably first imagine sitting at a cubical, working in the yard at a construction site or even running the tills at the grocery store. You should remember that in Maryland, your vehicle, as long as it's being used for work-related travel, can be your workplace too. If you happen to get into an accident, then you may be able to be covered by workers' compensation.
In this case reported on April 20, a Verizon worker was killed in a single-vehicle accident in Conowingo, Maryland. The employee, a 49-year-old man, was driving when his vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a utility pole. It overturned and came to rest on its side, leaving him trapped inside. Emergency workers were able to get him out of the vehicle, but he died on the scene, according to the news.
The man had been driving a 2002 Chevy 3500 truck, which had a boom and cherry picker basket. He lost control of the vehicle on a curve at around 7:00 a.m., according to the investigation, but it wasn't clear if the cherry picker had influenced the instability of the truck. What was known was that he veered off the southbound lane of Susquehanna Road near Canal Road, where he wrecked.
Verizon has reported that the man was a cable-splicing technician for the company, which means he would have been driving the truck for work. Because of this, his family may be able to seek death benefits through workers' compensation, or they may be able to hold the company liable if any problems are found with the vehicle. It's important to remember that your accident may have taken place outside of a work office, but that doesn't mean you're excluded from workers' compensation rights.
