# Work related injury?



## widowh (May 21, 2003)

My husband recently passed away after 3 years working in a
bucket truck trimming branchings over the power lines. The
diagnosis was a torn carotid artery which caused a severe
stroke. The neurologist feels it is work related due to the stress of holding out the chain saw and the position of his neck/head when trimming. Has anyone ever heard of such a thing? Also, where could I find info on whether any other tree worker has been diagnosed with anything similar?


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## John Paul Sanborn (May 21, 2003)

Many ROW workers ar IBEW brothers. Here is the web site for that union.

http://www.ibew.org/


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## Tom Dunlap (May 23, 2003)

You could get in touch with the Tree Care Industry Association, formerly the National Arborist Association:

http://www.natlarb.com/


Post a note on the ISA discussion forum:

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~isa/


If you have a problem getting a password at the ISA site, drop me a note off-line and I'll put a fire under them. 

Sorry to hear about your loss 

Tom


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## widowh (May 24, 2003)

My thanks for your info/ideas and condolesences. I will try the web sites you have mentioned. 

It's just that the doctor has suggested I hire a lawyer which I have done so that we may persue a workman's comp claim. 

My husband had forever complained about his back, shoulders and back of neck but to have the main artery in the front of his neck tear and then cause a massive stroke was such a shock. 

My husband was in perfect shape, 5'9" and about 160 lbs. He had worked as a groundsman doing the crappy work for about 3-4 years before he started in the bucket. 

His same employer had had an electrocution right before he started. My idea was that when an electrocution happens, they probably don't/can't do too much for forensic evidence. 

Could someone else have had a major stroke due to a torn artery and crossed the wire and caused the electrocution? Do you know what I mean?


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## John Paul Sanborn (Jun 1, 2003)

Dan, I realize that as a tree company owner you dont like the sound of this. The laws are writen that if the occupation leads to the cause of death there can be some responsability for the employer.

Of cource there are other lifestyle issues that could be raised as casue of a stroke.


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