The operator of a crane at the Seattle shipyard, Vigor Industrial, was injured earlier this week. His injuries were due to the collapse of the crane he was operating. It, along with the man, ended up with the water.

This work accident comes on the heels of a fatal accident that occurred at the site earlier this month. In a previous post we wrote about the worker's death after a fall from scaffolding at the Harbor Island location, formerly home to Todd Pacific Shipyards.

After the crane collapsed, people found a pulled the man from the water. He was then taken to the hospital. Fortunately, his injuries were not life-threatening. The type of injuries he sustained is not currently known.

It is likely that the worker will seek workers' compensation benefits. These benefits can be obtained by filing a workers' compensation claim, and may be sought to cover a variety of needs arising as a result of the accident. In addition to lost wages and medical expenses, if an injured worker's injuries are permanent, he or she may also seek a cash award.

The receipt of workers' compensation benefits is not a foregone conclusion. The process is complex and the initial claim may be denied. For this reason, many injured workers decide to seek assistance from an experienced workers' compensation attorney.

As is usually the case in accidents such as this, the state Department of Labor and Industries will conduct an investigation of the incident. Currently, it is unknown what caused the crane to collapse.

Source: Seattle Post-Intelligencer, "Crane falls in Sound; operator rescued," KOMO-TV, Feb. 16, 2012