Accidents in the workplace happen every day due to the nature of the employment and simple human error. But whatever the cause of the accident, workers deserve payment for their injuries that happen on the job. This is called workers’ compensation, and those in Illinois injured in a workplace accident may benefit from consulting with an attorney.
One recent workplace accident took place in a Du Quoin High School construction zone late last month. A truck had arrived at the site to dump off a load of rock. However, when the driver pulled away, he did so with the dump bed still fully raised. He then drove into a set of utility lines nearby.
Although the utility lines did not break, the tension of the lines was enough to pull the truck sideways. To prevent the truck from completely turning over, the driver clung to the step of his truck while two wreckers tied cables to either side. Once the truck was secured, linemen started taking down the utility lines.
No injuries were reported in the workplace accident, but worker’s compensation is designed to give employees confidence in performing their duties. Here, the workers were engaged in potentially dangerous work as they tried to secure the truck. Knowing that compensation would be provided if they were injured may have given them confidence to get the job done.
It is probably no surprise that a construction zone can be dangerous. However, a workplace accident can occur even in an office setting. When an employee is injured on the job, an experienced attorney may be of assistance. The attorney can help file the right paperwork within the proper deadlines and assist with navigating the often confusing maze of Illinois employment law.
Source: Benton Evening News, “Dump truck gets tangled in power lines in Du Quoin,” John H. Croessman, Sep 30, 2011
