Colorado City, TX — Steven McKinney was released from the hospital a little over a month ago, on Friday, August 22, 2014, after being electrocuted in an oil field accident earlier that week.
McKinney was one of three people working in an oil field near Colorado City, Texas, on Wednesday, August 20. The three were moving a pump jack that came into contact with a live wire. McKinney was shocked, while his brother Harvey McKinney and Laban Robokoff were electrocuted.
The accident was investigated by the Occupational Health and Safety Administration.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
Let’s talk about this from a legal perspective. In Texas there are two types of employers: Those who subscribe to workers’ comp and those who don’t. As most people know, workers’ comp is a system of benefits given to injured workers to make up for medical bills, lost wages, etc. However, this coverage is not available if the employer doesn’t subscribe to the workers’ comp system. In legal terms we call that employer a nonsubscriber. I don’t know what really happened here or whether or not this employer subscribes to workers’ comp. However, I do know this: workers’ comp benefits typically cover the bare minimum when it comes to medical bills and lost wages. Essentially, the worker forgoes his right to file a claim against his employer, in exchange for workers’ comp benefits. If you ask me, it’s a bad trade. If someone’s negligence causes an accident, the law generally says that you can sue them to recover your damages. Unfortunately employers are exempt from this rule when they choose to subscribe to workers’ comp.
— Grossman Law Offices
