Workers and their families are protected in circumstances of workplace accidents. In a nearby community north of Chicago, a steelworker was recovering from a fall from the seventh floor to the sixth floor of a courthouse building under construction. A construction crane had to be used to transport the man to the ground floor where he could be placed on an ambulance. The high-angle rescue, along with the use of a basket to remove the construction worker, was utilized by emergency personnel. The construction worker was immobilized and transported to a local medical care facility. His injuries were considered non-life threatening.
According to authorities, the construction worker fell approximately 12 feet from a ladder and was injured.
The elevator at the construction site only reaches the fifth floor of the construction site; from that point, construction workers have to take a series of temporary staircases to climb any further. In addition, the elevator is not very large. Whether a workplace accident has resulted in injuries or death, it can present a serious setback in the lives of workers and their families.
Workers may be left facing medical expenses and an inability to work and families of workers killed in a workplace accident, such as a construction accident, can be left facing significant, and sometimes unthinkable, emotional and financial struggles. As a result of the vulnerable position a workplace accident places workers and their families in, workers’ compensation options are available to help workers harmed in a workplace accident. Death benefits may also be available to family members through workers’ compensation.
The aftermath of a workplace accident can be challenging and complex and options in addition to workers’ compensation may be available in some limited circumstances which is why it is important for workers and their families to be familiar with all the options that may be available to them. A construction accident presents a threat to both the health and livelihood of workers and their families so they should always be aware of protections available to them when harmed.
Source: Chicago Tribune, “Construction worker hurt after falling at Waukegan courthouse project,” Frank S. Abderholden, March 5, 2017
