Hotel worker injured on the job by serious car wreck

On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, January 27, 2016.

Some workplace accidents are the result of employer negligence and liability, while others are simply instances of unfortunate and unavoidable tragedies. Even the safest workplaces in Illinois are not exempt from outside influences and forces. In a devastating accident, an out-of-state hotel employee was injured on the job when a motorist crashed into his place of work.

Witnesses to the accident told police that they saw the driver’s vehicle traveling at a fairly high speed just prior to colliding with a wall in a parking garage. The vehicle then smashed through the wall and continued for another 20 feet or so where it then drove into an adjacent hotel. One of the hotel’s employees who was working in a storage area was struck by the car and injured.

The driver of the vehicle appeared lifeless, and although other hotel employees attempted to resuscitate him, they were not successful. Paramedics who later arrived on the scene declared the driver dead and issued treatment to the hotel worker. The full extent of the employee’s injuries were not immediately made clear.

Local police are not sure why the driver apparently lost control of his vehicle, and they are still investigating the incident. The results of police investigation may provide clues that will point to the liability of the driver for having negligently caused the accident. Even though the driver did not survive, the injured hotel worker may still file a personal injury claim against the driver’s estate should sufficient liability be established. Since this worker was injured on the job, he may also seek workers’ compensation benefits. The prompt and timely receipt of these benefits allows injured workers in Illinois to begin the recovery process as soon as possible.

Source: ajc.com, “Driver dead, hotel worker injured in Midtown parking garage crash“, Jan. 24, 2016