On Wednesday May 26 Keith Freeman was hospitalized after being electrically shocked while on the job in Henderson TX. Henderson was working at the 200 block of Glendale for a local tree service contractor when the accident occurred. Police received a call at roughly 8:30 a.m. stating that a worker had been electrocuted. When they arrived Freeman was being treated by a co-worker. Emergency crews rushed Freeman to a local hospital and from there he was flown to Parkland Hospital in Dallas TX. The extent of his injuries is not currently known nor is his current condition. Initial reports suggest that Freeman somehow came into contact with a power line but the investigation into the accident is ongoing.
In my experience helping people who have been injured on the job I have often seen people make the mistake of relying on police the Occupational Safety and Health Administration or some other organization to conduct thorough investigations. But the truth is that these investigations are often not thorough enough to determine what options the victim has in terms of seeking compensation for his or her injuries. As an example in any accident involving a worker who has been contracted out to another company if that worker is hurt on the job the Occupational Safety and Health Administration will only investigate the contracting agency rather than the place where the victim was actually hurt.
And while a victim is waiting on these organizations to conduct their investigations it is becoming more and more difficult to build a strong case. Physical evidence is cleared from the scene witnesses forget important details and a victims case becomes weaker. By time OSHA and other organizations finish their investigations it may be too late to build a strong case. This is why it is imperative that people hurt on the job seek help in investigating their accident as soon as possible. Whenever my firm takes a workplace accident case we move quickly to secure all the evidence associated with the accident and I would guess that any experienced attorney is going to do the same thing. I wish Mr. Freeman a speedy recovery and I hope he is able to secure the compensation he needs for his injuries.