Workplace accidents, whether they cause serious harm and injuries or death, can have a significant and negative impact on victims and their families.
A recent construction accident in an Illinois community a little over an hour northeast of the Cook County area left a construction worker seriously injured. The construction accident occurred when the man became pinned in between a stack of lumber and a semi-trailer. While being removed by a forklift, the lumber appeared to have shifted, which resulted in the accident.
According to authorities, after workers stabilized the stack of lumber, the injured worker was freed and was then taken by helicopter to a local hospital for medical care and treatment of his injuries.
Whether a construction accident results in serious injuries to the victim or is fatal, it can present challenges for victims and their families that may appear insurmountable at times.
There are different options available to workers and their families based on the situation. Workers’ compensation is one type of protection available to injured workers and families of workers killed on the job. Both workers’ compensation benefits for medical expenses and lost wages, as well as survivor’s benefits for surviving family members of a lost loved one, may be available to victims and their families. Additionally, if the construction accident was caused by a third party, a personal injury or wrongful death claim for damages may alternately be available to victims and their families.
Whatever the situation is that construction accident victims and their families are facing, different resources and remedies are available to help them. It is essential for workers and their families to be familiar with these protections when they are facing the aftermath of being harmed on the job.
