The police in Cuyahoga County were called to the scene of a freak accident on May 18. The incident happened just before 12 noon. The report was that a man working on the road project at South Avenue near Lake Park was killed while working. The Lake Park death has some peculiarities.

The Lake Park death victim has been identified as 31-year-old Matthew Mashburn. He was working on a project to widen the road at the Boardman Road construction site. He was trying to cut a pipe with a special tool. Something happened to cause the tool to kick back on the worker. The saw ended up injuring the worker causing serious bodily injury.

When the rescue crews arrived at the scene, they tried to stabilize the young man. He was immediately taken to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Youngstown, Ohio. Sadly, he passed away there later that same afternoon.

The company identified as the general contractor for the Boardman’s Road project is S.E.T., Inc. They did not make any comment regarding the accident. OSHA is currently investigating the matter and said it can take up to 6 months to resolve the case.

The investigator assigned to this case, Scott Allen, said this is standard procedure for any work-related injury that results in death. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner was planning on conducting an autopsy on Mashburn. No update has been provided. No comment has been made by the family or the victim’s employer at this time.

The family of the victim may have a potential legal claim for wrongful death against the general contractor or the company he worked for. They may also have a claim against the manufacturer or servicer of the saw as it appears to have been defective.

If you or your family member are hurt while on the job, you should call our office right away and talk to an experienced Ohio workers comp lawyer.