Transporation worker seriously hurt in crash

On Behalf of | Dec 22, 2016 | Workplace Injuries |

A worker employed by the Illinois Department of Transportation was hurt in a serious truck accident. The 47-year-old man was driving a truck last Tuesday afternoon, when he lost control of the vehicle and it flipped over just outside of Ursa, Illinois.

According to the Adams County Sheriff’s Department, the 47-year-old man was operating a 1995 International 4900 truck along Illinois State Road 61 just before 1 p.m. He was spraying the road with ice-melt liquid when the vehicle suddenly drove off the roadway and into a ditch. The driver was able to rescue the vehicle from falling into the ditch, but the maneuver caused the liquid in the truck tank to shift, and then the truck flipped over onto its side.

The man was injured in the crash and emergency responders rushed him to Blessing Hospital, where he has received treatment. His injuries were described as minor. Illinois Department of Transportation workers later arrived at the scene of the crash to clear the roadway so holiday traffic could continue to flow.

Fortunately, this man’s injuries were minor. However, any kind of emergency hospital care is exorbitantly expensive. If the IDOT worker was responsible for paying for the car out of pocket, he and his family might not be able to afford it. That is why workers’ compensation insurance exists, and it’s why nearly all employers in Illinois are required to insure their workers in the event of a job-related medical emergency.

Illinois workers who suffer injury due to their employment can seek reimbursement for medical costs caused by on-the-job injuries by filing a workers’ compensation claim. They can also seek wage replacement benefits if they are required to spend time unable to work while recovering from their injuries.

Source: Herald-Whig, “IDOT worker spraying ice melt hurt in crash near Ursa,” Dec. 21, 2016

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