The Occupational Safety and Health Administration says it has launched an investigation into an incident in Illinois that claimed the life of one worker and caused serious injuries to a co-worker. This appears to be one of the many preventable construction accidents that claim workers’ lives each year. According to a police report, emergency services were called to a construction site in Evanston on a Tuesday morning earlier this month.
Police and firefighters rushed to the building site where a nine-story apartment complex is under construction. The only available information about the circumstances of the accident is that the two workers were unloading a steel column from a truck with the help of a crane. For unknown reasons, the steel beams moved out of position and dropped onto the two workers below.
A 55-year-old worker was rushed to a local hospital in a critical condition, but he succumbed to his injuries later. The second worker, a 28-year-old man, became trapped under the massive steel beams. Reportedly, firefighters managed to extricate him before transporting him to the hospital where he underwent surgery. His condition was later reported to be stable.
Illinois families who have had to deal with fatal construction accidents that claimed the lives of their loved ones would know how difficult it is to deal with the unanticipated financial challenges at a time during which they would rather grieve their losses. This is where the support and guidance of an experienced workers’ compensation attorney can be invaluable. A lawyer can deal with the navigation of death benefits claims to get compensation for end-of-life expenses and lost wages as soon as possible. The same assistance is available for injured victims who are temporarily disabled and need help with the benefits claims process.
