Abstract: At 12:00 p.m. on July 20, 2013, Employee #1, a laborer, was part of a crew that consisted of the owner and three part-time employees. The crew was removing a damaged branch from an oak tree located in the backyard of a residence. The owner had instructed his employees to remain near the residence, 75 feet away, until the cutting was complete. The owner, working from an elevated bucket lift, was attempting to cut the limb that had a visual crack. He had removed smaller limbs to gain access to the damaged limb and had a limited field of vision, due to limbs and leaves in the tree. While cutting the damaged limb, the owner heard a different limb snap and saw a limb fall. The limb that snapped was 12 to 16 inches in diameter and 15 to 30 feet long. The owner did not realize that Employee #1 had approached the work area while the owner was cutting limbs. The employee was removing cut limbs at ground level at the time the limb snapped. The falling limb struck Employee #1 in the head, crushing and killing him.