Safety conditions in the American workplace have improved substantially over the last century, particularly in the decades after the creation of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Still, some jobs remain hazardous, and we are reminded of that fact whenever we hear about a serious or fatal workplace accident.

Sadly, Tennessee residents were recently given two stark reminders in the same day. Two men died on January 27th in a pair of unrelated workplace accidents in Tennessee.

The first fatality occurred at Rutherford County's Nissan Plant. According to police, a 50-year-old man from Murfreesboro died after being crushed between his semi-truck and some parked trailers.

The man was a contract driver for a company responsible for delivering materials to the Nissan plant, and the accident occurred near a parts warehouse as the driver making a delivery to the adjacent storage yard.

After he exited his truck, the gears suddenly engaged and the semi began rolling toward him. Investigators are still trying to determine why the vehicle unexpectedly began moving.

The second fatal accident occurred just a few hours later at a facility in South Nashville. A 52-year-old truck driver died after a crane operator accidentally hit him with a 40,000-pound coil of steel.

The crane operator had apparently just lifted the steel coil when it swung into the victim and pinned him against the trailer of his truck. The crane operator was unaware that the man had exited his truck until it was too late.

In the aftermath of serious or fatal workplace accidents, victims and their families may be struggling with challenging legal details while simultaneously trying to recover or to mourn the loss of a loved one. In difficult cases such as this, it may be helpful to speak with a qualified attorney who can help make sure the workers' compensation process runs smoothly.

Sources:
The Tennessean, "Similar industrial accidents at Middle TN sites kill 2 men," Nicole Young and Andy Humbles, Jan. 28, 2012
The Tennessean, "Update: Man killed at Nissan plant identified," Mark Bell, Jan. 27, 2012