Roadwork can be frustrating for drivers, and understandably so, as traffic is often reduced to fewer lanes and speed limits are lowered. However, these measures are put in place to protect not only drivers and their passengers, but the men and women tasked with carrying out the construction work. An Illinois construction worker recently suffered a serious injury when he was hit by an SUV while on the job.
The construction employee was part of a contractor crew working on a resurfacing project for the Illinois Department of Transportation. He was on-site when he was struck by a motor vehicle, suffering serious injuries that were not life-threatening but required treatment at an area hospital. While being hit by a car at one’s workplace might be upsetting enough, police claim that there was something more disturbing about this accident — the driver allegedly hit the worker on purpose.
The driver told police that he had hit the worker because he felt upset and aggravated, although it is not clear what caused his behavior. He was not injured in the wreck, and police arrested him on multiple aggravated battery charges. Police do not believe that the driver knew the construction worker before ramming into him, and he has been ordered to refrain from contacting the injured worker and is not allowed to drive as conditions of his bail bond.
When a worker suffers a serious injury while carrying out the course of his or her work duties, workers’ compensation benefits are usually available. This is true even if the worker was injured by another individual. These benefits are essential to injured workers in Illinois, as they provide compensation for lost wages, necessary medical care and more. Apart from any workers’ comp benefits, third party claims for personal injuries may also be appropriate against a tortfeasor other than a worker’s employer or a co-worker.
Source: mysuburbanlife.com, “Driver accused of intentionally hitting construction worker in Elmhurst“, Nov. 14, 2017
