Man dies in Illinois construction accident

On Behalf of | May 28, 2013 | Construction Workers' Accidents |

In a tragic construction accident in Illinois, a worker nearing retirement died while on a work site. The man was from another state, but was working on a project on an Illinois university campus when he was hit by a beam. A crane knocked a beam off the sixth floor of the building and hit the man in the head and chest, resulting in severe injuries. He was taken to a hospital, where he died from the injuries sustained in the construction accident.

The federal Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) is currently investigating the incident. There is no preliminary indication if the death was the result of anything other than a random accident. However, if OSHA determines that there were safety violations, there could be penalties levied against the company. It would also be required to fix any safety hazards that could endanger any other workers.

According to reports, the man was very close to retirement when he died. A neighbor said that the man hoped to retire to Florida and that he had worked at this construction job for a long time. While it doesn’t yet seem immediately clear how this accident happened, authorities are still investigating what factors may have caused or contributed to the man’s unexpected death.

The family of the man killed in the Illinois construction accident may consider filing for workers’ compensation death benefits in the wake of their loved one’s unexpected death. It seems that the man died while in the process of performing his normal work duties, so they may rightly be eligible for financial compensation. Most employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance so that they can provide benefits to workers or their surviving relatives in the event of a serious accident like this one.

Source: Evanston Patch, “Construction Worker Killed Identified; OSHA Investigating,” Jennifer Fisher, May 17, 2013

FindLaw Network