Scaffolding collapse injures 4 workers

On Behalf of | Jul 1, 2016 | Construction Workers' Accidents |

Herrin Hospital in Herrin, Illinois, was the site of a scaffolding collapse on Thursday, June 30. It happened about 7:45 a.m. when the center part of it fell, taking four workers with it.

A man who lives right across the street said he heard a loud bang and saw a big cloud of dust. He ran over to see what had happened, but there were already nurses and medical staff running over from shift change just seconds after the construction accident happened.

A spokeswoman for Southern Illinois Healthcare said that there were eight men on the construction site when the accident happened. Four were injured. Two of the men were flown by helicopter to St. Louis. Another was taken to Evansville, Indiana. The fourth man was treated at Herrin Hospital and released. The spokeswoman said that none of the injuries were life-threatening.

The witness said that if the men were going to have an accident, it couldn’t have happened at a better place since it was in the hospital parking lot. He said that while everyone was shocked at first, the nurses knew what to do.

The Occupational Health and Safety Administration was on the accident scene by Thursday afternoon. It could take months for the final report on what happened to be released.

If you are injured in a construction accident, you have the right to seek workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits can pay for your medical treatment, lost wages, disability and more. If your claim for benefits is denied, an attorney can help you file an appeal. These benefits are in place to help injured workers and their families.

Source: wpsdlocal6.com, “Four workers hurt in scaffolding collapse,” Rachael Krause, June 30, 2016

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