Chicago dancer suffers fatal accident at work

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Accidents on Tuesday, January 21, 2014.

Dancers are well accustomed to getting injured on the job. It is not unusual for them to continue performing — even after an accident at work makes it uncomfortable or difficult to do so. Some injuries, like a recent workplace accident in Illinois, are more serious and result in the dancer’s death.

A 22-year-old man died recently after an accident that happened during rehearsal at the area dance studio at which he worked. The man was grasping a steel acrobatic ring when it began to tilt over. The man lost his balance and fell. When he tipped forward, the steel acrobatic ring collided with the back of his head with great force, according to reports.

The man was taken to a local hospital for treatment of his injuries. He died while there later that afternoon. Officials performed an autopsy to ascertain an official cause. They ruled that the man had died of blunt force trauma when struck with the steel ring. The incident was determined to be an accidental death by the medical examiner.

The man was originally from Mexico. He had been a dancer since he was 11-years-old and had studied in several countries. A statement on the dance studio’s website asks people to keep the man and his family in their thoughts.

By their nature, accidents are things that no one expects to happen. Unfortunately, sometimes an accident at work does occur, bringing with it disastrous, long-reaching results like serious injury or even death. When that happens, as with this Illinois man, the decedent’s family may be eligible to receive workers’ compensation death benefits. If so, the money they receive could help them move forward from the loss their family has sustained.

Source: Chicago Sun-Times, DanceWorks Chicago dancer’s death during rehearsal ruled accidental, Jordan Owen, Jan. 14, 2014