A 26-year-old PG&E worker who sustained fatal job injuries the morning of March 17, 2010 has been identified as Max Martinez. KGO-TV reports that the fatal accident occurred when Martinez was electrocuted as he worked with three other workers in a 12,000-volt underground vault. No one else was injured. The fatal workplace accident is being investigated by the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA).

I offer my deepest sympathies to everybody who knew and loved Max Martinez for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. His family will be in my thoughts and prayers.

Accident Record

According to Cal-OSHA reports, they have investigated 16 incidents involving PG&E workers over the last five years. The most recent fatal incident occurred in March 2009 when a PG&E worker, also a lineman, fell 30 feet from a utility pole, in the Sierra foothills.

Based on this news report, we don't know how or why this fatal on-the-job accident occurred. Investigators are very likely looking at a variety of factors that may have caused this accident. Were all safety procedures followed? Was Martinez trained to do the job he was doing at the time of the incident? Was he wearing proper safety gear? Were there any safety violations on the part of PG&E or any of the other workers who were in the vault with Martinez? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine exactly what happened here.

Claim for Compensation

Martinez's family would be well-advised to seek the counsel of a reputed San Francisco personal injury lawyer, who has a successfully handled "third-party claims." Third-party claims are typically worth a lot more than workers compensation, and are filed against negligent parties other than the employers.

California workers compensation benefits, which are usually available to injured workers or their families through employers, are woefully inadequate, especially in fatal accidents or incidents that result in catastrophic injuries. Victims and their families in such cases, need the support and guidance of a tenacious injury lawyer who has the resources and fire power to fight large corporations.

We are not representing any of the parties mentioned in this article at the time the article was posted. Our information source is cited in the article. If you were involved in this incident or a similar incident and have questions as to your rights and options, call a reputable law firm. Do not act solely upon the information provided herein. Get a consultation. The best law firms will provide a free confidential consultation to "not at fault" persons named in this article and their family members.