It’s easy to take your safety for granted while you’re at work. You show up each day with every intention of earning a living, but workplace injuries can cause short- and long-term complications to your health. This may lead to expensive medical treatments and even compromise your ability to work. Workers’ compensation is designed to aid you in the event of a workplace accident, and it is important to understand the various types of benefits available for an injury.
Numerous people were injured, and one man was killed after a carbon monoxide leak began in the basement of a Huntington Station Panera Bread. The restaurant, located in the Walt Whitman Shops mall, as well as a neighboring Cheesecake Factory, were evacuated. However, several people in the vicinity suffered injuries in the meantime. The original call to emergency workers came after a woman fell and hit her head, it was believed that the carbon monoxide may have instigated the injury.
Two dozen or more people were hospitalized in the event, including several emergency workers who were at the scene responding to the call. Apparently the gas leak also killed one man, a manager of a seafood restaurant in the mall. The initial investigation suggested that the leak arose from a defective heating system.
This gas leak offers an example of how quickly and unexpectedly an injury can occur while at work. Workers in the mall and the emergency personnel at the scene were placed at serious risk. If you are the subject of a workplace accident, you have rights that can protect you. Medical treatment, lost wages and rehabilitation are common aspects of workplace injuries, and learning about your rights and New York workers’ compensation laws can help you find the resolution you need for your situation.
Source: CBS New York, “1 Dead, Dozens Rushed To Area Hospitals After Carbon Monoxide Leak At Long Island Mall,” Feb. 22, 2014
