Construction accident sends 4 to the hospital
On behalf of of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Thursday, April 2, 2015.
Construction workers in Illinois are likely familiar with the strict guidelines to which employers must adhere in order to keep workers as safe as possible. When those measures are not met, it can only take a second for a worker’s life to be on the line. A recent construction accident in another state seriously injured four workers, sending all of them to the hospital.
The men — who range in age from 23 to 39 years old — were at the construction site of a tunnel when the accident occurred. Although initial reports indicated that a wall gave way in an elevator shaft, later reports clarified the accident. The men were in the process of reinforcing a wall of the tunnel when it unexpectedly gave way, sending the men on a 25-foot fall.
Firefighters had to trek over half a mile before they could even get to the injured workers. Three of the men were able to crawl to safety, but the fourth was carried to safety by the responding firefighters. The extent of their injuries is unclear, although the hospital did make it clear that none of their lives are in danger.
Officials are not sure why the wall collapsed, and the Department of Labor & Industries has announced that it plans to investigate. Workers injured by a construction accident in Illinois retain the same rights to access to workers’ compensation benefits as the men who were injured in the tunnel. When employees are unable to get back to work until making a full recovery, these benefits can help ensure that they stay afloat financially.
Source: blogs.seattletimes.com, “4 workers injured in accident at Highway 99 tunnel project“, John de Leon and Mike Lindblom, Feb. 12, 2015
