Seattle shipyards provide workers throughout the area with livable wages as the industry has done for the last century. Here, workers drive trucks, use welding machines and operate cranes while constructing or repairing vessels. As is the case with most industrial type jobs, there are many potential dangers and unexpected accidents can occur at any time.

Last week a worker at local shipyard, Vigor Shipyards, sustained serious injuries when he fell from scaffolding while working. Emergency workers, including the Seattle Fire Department, were called to the Elliot Bay shipyard, formerly known as Todd Pacific Shipyards, after the incident. Sadly, they were unable to help the man who had fallen between 70 and 100 feet. The trauma he sustained was too severe and the worker died at the scene.

While working in a shipyard can be dangerous work, it is doubtful that most workers or their families expect that they will be involved in a fatal accident. Though the man's identity has not been revealed to the public it is most likely that his family is reeling from his unexpected death. They are likely feeling powerless and unsure of the future.

While there is nothing that can be done to bring a loved one who has died back to life, there is at least one thing that people can do to take control of the situation. Some people decide to file a wrongful death lawsuit. When successful, this type of lawsuit may provide compensation for a variety of things such as the loss of the deceased person's earnings and loss of companionship. Perhaps more importantly, the lawsuit often provides family members with a sense of closure, making it easier for them to move on with their lives.

Source: KIRO TV, "Man killed in fall at Seattle shipyard," Feb. 3, 2012