The USS Carter Hall was off of the coast of North Carolina conducting training exercises recently when a 19-year old Seaman fell off of the deck. The training exercises were to train the Bataan Amphibious Ready Group for active duties. The Navy is investigating what caused the sailor to fatally fall into the ship’s wall deck.
The Navy has indicated that the 19-year old who suffered fatal injuries when he fell into the ship’s wall deck was treated by emergency crews onboard as well as flown by helicopter to Pitt memorial Trauma Center where he was pronounced dead. The incident is a tragic end to a young life and unfortunate consequence of the hazards of war games in preparation for the real thing.
Many realize that hazards come with military career choices, but it is never expected that fatal injuries will occur in the everyday operations of naval exercises and training. This tragic accident is an unfortunate reminder of the unexpected workplace hazards that exist for our military on a daily basis. Their job is to protect the citizens of the United States of America and it is easy to forget the dangers that they continually place themselves on our behalf.
Unexpected and unfortunate accidents in the workplace, while perhaps more common in the military, are not unique to hazardous careers. Safety procedures should be evaluated on a continual basis in every work environment. If you or anyone you know should happen to suffer from injuries at work, please consult with a workers’ compensation lawyer to best explore the legal options available to you.
Source: gantdaily.com, “Sailor identified in North Carolina ship deck’s fatal fall,” Raquel Erhard, Dec. 14, 2012
- For more information on North Carolina Workers’ Compensation resources, please feel free to visit our website.
