Illinois hospital treats injured employee with broken legs
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Monday, August 10, 2015.
Luckily for one individual, the hospital was not far away when he was involved in a terrifying workplace accident. After falling from outside of a 6th story hospital window, the injured employee was taken to the emergency room. It is still not clear exactly what caused the man to fall.
The injured victim was not a worker at the Illinois hospital. Rather, he was employed by a company that provided window cleaning services at the facility. The man was washing the exterior windows when tragedy struck, and fell all six stories, suffering serious injuries. According to the hospital, he suffered multiple internal injuries and also broke both legs.
Although the window washer was working from scaffolding at the time of the accident, it is not known if there were any issues with it that may have contributed to the accident. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited the Illinois-based company for previous violations, although it noted that those issues were not related to any worker injuries. The cleaning company also praised the victim’s past work history and stated that it plans to remain dedicated to helping the recovery process go as smoothly as possible.
The OSHA investigation to determine exactly what led to the devastating accident is still ongoing, and its goal is to determine exactly where safety precautions may have failed. Regardless, the injured employee can still file for workers’ compensation benefits. The receipt of workers’ comp benefits can provide an invaluable resource for an injured employee who is working toward recovery. In this instance, it is likely that the hospital and medical bills for the injured man will be extensive and his recovery prolonged. An attorney experienced in handling these types of legal claims may be just what the family needs to ensure that all available benefits are received in a timely manner.
Source: Lakeview Il. Patch, “Window Washer in Critical Condition After Plunging Six Stories — UPDATED“, Lorraine Swanson, Aug. 5, 2015
