Left high and dry: Widow of father-of-three crushed to death by a ski lift is being denied half his workers' compensation because he LEGALLY used marijuana
- Adam Lee, 40, died in December after being crushed by ski lift equipment at Loveland in Colorado
- His grieving wife Erika has now been told that she will not receive half of her husband's benefits because he legally used marijuana
- Toxicology reports following his death showed he had high levels of prescription cannabis in his system
- Colorado law allows state workers' compensation companies to cut benefits by 50 percent if tests return positive for marijuana
The widow of a man who was crushed to death while repairing a Colorado ski lift is being denied half of his workers' compensation benefits because he had traces of marijuana in his system.
Adam Lee, 40, died back in December after suffering a crushing chest injury when he got caught up in a magic carpet ski escalator at Loveland Ski Area.
His grieving wife Erika has now been told that she will not receive half of her husband's benefits because he legally used marijuana.
Adam Lee, 40, died in December after being crushed on a ski lift in Loveland, Colorado. His wife Erika is now being denied half his workers' compensation benefits because he had legal marijuana in his system. They are pictured above with their three children
'I'm scared, and I have no idea how we are going to make it,' Erika told the Denver Channel.
'We don't know if we will get any money, so I'm just looking now at how to survive.'
Toxicology reports following the father-of-three's death showed that he had high levels of Tetrahydrocannabinol - a prescribed cannabis drug - in his system.
Colorado law allows state workers' compensation companies to cut benefits by 50 percent if tests return positive for marijuana or any other controlled substance.
'I am frustrated with the system that is saying because he smoked a legal substance, we are going to take away your benefits from you and your kids,' Erika said.
Erika plans to appeal the decision by Pinnacol Assurance, a quasi-state workers' compensation agency, to cut her benefits.
Adam's grieving wife Erika has been told that she will not receive half of her husband's benefits because he legally used marijuana
Lee suffered a crushing chest injury when he got caught up in a magic carpet ski escalator at Loveland Ski Area (pictured above) in December
A hearing is scheduled before an administrative law judge in the coming months.
Her husband, who worked as a mechanic, was killed when he was crushed by equipment on the mountain.
His coworkers at the time said Lee had been under the conveyor belt when somebody accidentally started it, causing him to be dragged with it.
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Lee had worked at Loveland Ski Area for three seasons - initially as a lift operator and most recently as a mechanic. The family had moved to Colorado from Michigan.
According to his widow, their family have been living paycheck to paycheck and she has been working two jobs - as a teacher and a Target sales clerk - just to help make ends meet.
The couple have two daughters, aged 12 and 10, and a five-year-old son.
Adam left behind his wife Erika and their three children - a 12-year-old daughter, a 10-year-old daughter and a five-year-old son
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