Construction areas in California can be extremely dangerous to any person on site. Many factors can contribute to construction workers’ accidents, including faulty equipment, miscalculation by engineers, insufficient safety training, or policies and other factors. For a worker, an accident can result in serious injury or death. Recently, two men’s lives were changed due to a wall collapse on their work site.
Two construction crew workers were digging footings next to a large wall prior to the accident. The concrete wall was about 20 feet long and six feet tall prior to its collapse. As the wall collapsed, one man avoided being crushed, but he was injured in the process. Reports state that he suffered a leg and back injury.
Sadly, the other man did not survive. After the wall fell, it confined the 51-year-old man into a tight space. Rescue workers attempted for more than an hour to rescue the man without success. The California Office of Health and Safety is expected to investigate the site and circumstances surrounding the accident.
The surviving man’s injuries will likely become very expensive as medical and physical therapy bills accumulate quickly. The deceased victim’s family will incur multiple related unexpected burial expenses with the loss of their loved one. Fortunately, workers’ compensation is available to aide in expenses, but it is a complicated system in which to navigate and file claims. California attorneys familiar with the complex workers’ comp system can guide the victim and the surviving family members in filing claims. Although construction workers’ accidents can alter lives, compensation is available as victims adjust to new reality.
Source: fox5sandiego.com, “Construction worker trapped underneath collapsed wall dies“, April 3, 2017