All too often, Illinois construction workers are caught in dangerous situations and workplace accidents. Many factors contribute to these accidents, but this fact does not diminish the loss that the loved ones of the victim may feel when they realize that they will never see the victim again, even though they may be covered financially with workers’ compensation death benefits. This unfortunate reality is demonstrated by a recent fatal accident that claimed the life of one construction worker and injured two others.
The accident occurred one morning late last month when a one-story building caved in while it was still under construction. Three construction workers inside the building at the time of the accident were trapped by debris. One of the workers was dead upon arrival at a nearby hospital. Another was in reportedly stable condition, while the third worker’s condition was not immediately known. The exact cause of this accident is currently unknown and under investigation.
Construction sites can always be risky, but a fatal accident should be a thing of the past at Illinois work sites. While nothing can atone for the heartrending loss of the construction worker’s life, his family will likely be eligible to receive workers’ compensation death benefits. Additionally, those workers who were injured may be entitled to receive benefits to help pay for their medical expenses as well as to cover lost income while they recover from their injuries And if an investigation documents that the injuries sustained were caused by the negligent actions of a third party, the law generally permits those seriously injured — or the estates of those killed — to pursue negligence claims for monetary damages against that third party.
Source: The Washington Post, “Construction collapse at 1-story NYC building kills 1 worker and injures 2,” March 22, 2012
