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Electrocution fatality in Minnesota

On Behalf of | Aug 7, 2014 | Construction Workers' Accidents |

On July 28, a 911 call came into the Renville County Sheriff’s Office reporting that two workers had been electrocuted northeast of Fairfax at 8:43 a.m. They were working on the CapX2020 power line at the time of the accident. One of the two men was from Wisconsin and the other from the Twin Cities area. Attempts by first responders to resuscitate the two men were successful on only one of the workers. The worker from Minnesota died after they were both transported to trauma centers via helicopter. The other worker’s condition is still unknown.

The men were working for Donovan Construction on a tower that is connected to a transmission power line that spans 250 miles. The power line is part of the CapX2020 project, which is a Minnesota electrical grid expansion. According to a construction company spokesperson, the men were working near 510th Street and 660th Avenue at the time of the accident.

Currently the Renville County Sheriff’s Office, OSHA, and the Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry are investigating the incident. This is the second CapX2020 project accident in the past year. The previous accident involved two workers employed by another contractor who were involved in an equipment-related accident in New Prague. One worker lost his life and the other worker fell into a 50-foot hole and suffered injuries.

When a worker is injured or loses his or her life in a workplace accident, they could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. A workers’ compensation attorney could help by explaining to the injured worker or the family of the deceased their legal rights in that particular situation and how to file a claim for benefits to help cover medical bills and loss of income.

Source: KMSP-TV, “Worker electrocuted on CapX2020 power line near Fairfax, Minn.”, Iris Perez, July 28, 2014

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