Injured employee apparently dragged by roller coaster
On behalf of Jeffrey Frederick of Frederick & Hagle posted in Workplace Injuries on Wednesday, June 17, 2015.
Amusement parks might seem like all fun and games to Illinois guests, but the high speeds that many rides travel at can present a serious risk for employees who must navigate around them. An injured employee at an out-of-state park was one of two people injured in a recent accident with a popular roller coaster. Great America — the amusement park where the accident occurred — stated that it is currently cooperating with authorities who are investigating the incident.
A park attendee reported that the chain of events appeared to begin when another guest dropped his or her cellphone. A maintenance employee was nearby at the time, and reports indicate that he attempted to retrieve the phone for the guest. It was then that a returning train from the roller coaster struck the employee, dragging him several feet.
One guest who was on the roller coaster at the time of the accident suffered a minor hand injury and was taken to the hospital for a precautionary evaluation. The employee, however, suffered seriously traumatic injuries. His current condition is unknown. Great America says that it does not believe the roller coaster malfunctioned, but in the interest of safety, it is keeping the roller coaster closed for now.
When hurt during the course of completing work duties, Illinois employees have the right to file for workers’ compensation benefits in order to address day-to-day necessities until such a time that they are able to return to work. Although an injured employee might have been hurt due to unsafe working conditions, there are instances when accidents can occur in even the safest of environments. No matter if safety precautions were ignored or followed to the letter, workers’ comp is still available for victims of a workplace accident.
Source: abc7news.com, “Roller coaster accident leaves 2 injured at Great America“, Cornell Barnard, June 13, 2015
