Compensation.

[wildwood]

It is frequently seen that the family of victims who died in an industrial accident or through some mishap, feel they qualify to a money wad as compensation for the loss of their relative.

I can understand that a recompense for medical and/or funeral or other costs they have to meet may be requested, or even educational fund for young children of the victim, but where do these people get off asking for huge sums? Are they going to feel better about the loss of their family member when they are driving in a new cars or live in a new house?

Is this putting a monetary value on a family member that passed away not a bit distasteful?

[keyplus90]

Keyplusphobia. A new word is being added to dictionary.

[naomi24]

Not 'the' dictionary, Keyplus - 'your' dictionary. You're fantasising again.

[woofgang]

naomi, I don't think its just a breadwinner issue. Living with any kind of permanent disability is expensive and very worrying if it means that you are unable to work for any length of time, possibly for ever. If it honestly was caused by an employers negligence then surely they bear a responsibility?

[woofgang]

no one is afraid of you keyplus.

[naomi24]

Woofgang, certainly, but question relates to death, and that's what I addressed.

[shaneystar2]

Just to answer Connemara here if you look in again .
My Dad died from industrial injury ,many years ago now ,caused by asbestos dust .He was awarded compensation through an industrial tribunal and my Mum got a small pension from it which was paid until she too passed away. His award in 1970 was the grand sum of two thousand pounds .He died three years later .
My eldest brother recently passed away with the same thing ,although he had a much longer innings than my Dad ( they both worked together in the asbestos loaded power station tunnels) .He lived in Australia and it was too late for him to make any sort of claims .
The rules on this have been changed
http://www.guardian.co.uk/law/2012/aug/19/asbestos-victims-compensation-scheme-warning

[woofgang]

you are right Naomi, i was thinking of compensation generally.

[wildwood]

I was thinking more of someone who turned up to work still half drunk and fell off the scaffolding or put their hand through a grinder. Stupidity at work is responsible for many fatal accidents. People are killed through the inattention of other workers, not the company's fault but still held liable. A wrong decision by a team leader or other individual in, say mining, can be catastrophic.

Surely a working person with a family will have a Life Insurance to cover the costs of bringing up the family!

How do the innocent victims of road accident get on?

Thank you all for your wide range of opinions.

[mikey4444]

A money wad ? What a clumsy phrase.

[woofgang]

Companies are not held liable if an accident is the fault of the person injured, although in the example of someone drunk, they should have rules and procedures to prevent people who have ingested drugs or alcohol from entering the work place. This not only protects the idiot but is also designed to protect other workers. Companies do have a responsibility to monitor the work place and their workers and to actively require and monitor compliance to health and safety rules. So far as decision making goes, again companies have a responsibility to select, train and then monitor their staff who make decisions. Where a staff member is held to have been wholly or partially responsible for the death or injury of another employee, then they may pay with their job, with any possibility of future employment in the same industry and possibly with the loss of formal qualifications if they hold any. For most people, this is a powerful motivator!!
Of course the company may also bear some responsibility here because of an ineffective selection, training or monitoring process.
It can happen that a company will make a payment even though they are not strictly at fault. They may do this to avoid a lengthy and expensive court case, or because it it part of the way that company works.
I know about this stuff because it formed a large part of my late husbands job in a large multinational energy company.
People who are injured or killed in road accidents have recourse through the insurance of whoever was responsible for the accident.