Raymond Hill, 55, died after he suffered serious California personal injury when he went into cardiac arrest while operating heavy machinery at the Pharoah's Lost Kingdom, a water park in Redlands, California. Hill apparently died the afternoon of October 12, 2009. He had already been pulled from underneath the Bobcat equipment when firefighters arrived at the amusement park. Hill's co-workers told officials that they went to check on him when he stopped responding to their calls. However, officials also got conflicting reports that Hill was trapped under the equipment and that he was discovered slumped over the steering wheel. Hill was pronounced dead at an area hospital. The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal-OSHA) is investigating this fatal accident.

My heart goes out to the family, friends and co-workers of Raymond Hill for their tragic and heartbreaking loss. I offer my deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved Hill. Please keep them in your prayers.

Fatal Job Injury Kills Worker

Based on this news report, it's not clear why this fatal California job injuryoccurred. There are conflicting reports at this point and investigators are still in the process of interviewing eyewitnesses, co-workers and other who may have either seen this horrific accident or know something about it. There are more questions than answers at this point.

Did Hill suffer a heart attack or cardiac arrest while he was on-the-job working on the equipment? Did the accident occur as a result of his health condition? Or did he accidentally get trapped underneath the Bobcat equipment, which led to cardiac arrest? I trust that is the main issue Cal-OSHA investigators are looking into at this point. If Hill's death was caused by the heavy machinery falling on top of him and crushing him, then certain other questions arise. Was there a product defect or mechanical malfunction that caused the machine to fail? Did Hill have the skill and training to operate the machinery? Were all required safety procedures being followed at the time?

Third Party Claims

In any job-related accident, injured workers (or their families) would be entitled to receive workers compensation benefits. However, California workers compensation benefits are extremely inadequate and would hardly even meet the medical expenses in case of serious injuries or lost earnings when a family tragically loses its primary wage earner. In such cases, it may be in the family's best interest to file a "third-party claim," which is typically filed against someone other than the employer. A third party could be a contractor, sub-contractor or the manufacturer of a defective product. These claims could be worth many times more for the injured worker's family. An experienced California personal injury lawyer will be able to explain the legal rights and options available to accident victims and their families and make sure they receive fair compensation to cover their loss.

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 a fault" persons named in this article and their family members.