It truly cannot be overstated just how dangerous the job of a construction worker is. Every job comes with some risk of injury, but there are few jobs in which the risk of injury is so great considering how many elements are beyond the workers’ control. Construction workers are required in many instances to work at incredible heights with very few safety features to prevent them from falling. Additionally, construction workers must use massive equipment at these extreme heights, and these elements can add up to a dangerous accident.
Such an accident occurred last year in Chicago, when a large I-beam collapsed and fell 20 feet. Two workers were on the beam as it plummeted to the ground, and two others were struck by it. Exactly what caused the accident is still unknown, though OSHA is expected to make a final decision shortly. All four workers fortunately survived, and they are now suing the project’s developers and engineers.
This just further illustrates the risks of construction work. It is already dangerous enough to be working with heavy tools 20 feet in the air or higher, but because of the very nature of construction work, the structures themselves are not even sound. This is why workers’ compensation benefits are so important for construction workers.
While this accident happened in Chicago, New York construction workers find themselves in similar situations all the time. It doesn’t take much for a freak accident like a collapsing beam to seriously injure construction workers, and on top of the unexpected medical bills, workers will not be able to go to work to provide for their families. Construction workers who are injured on the job are encouraged to speak with an attorney about their circumstances in order to get the maximum amount of compensation they deserve.
Source: Chicago Sun Times, “Four workers hurt in accident at Loop construction s