Anybody in Kansas City, even those whose loved ones are all still with them, can at least begin to imagine the pain and horror of spending the holidays without a parent, spouse or child for the first time. It can feel even worse when the loved one did not die because of an illness or unavoidable accident, but because an employer was negligent. Such deaths could have been prevented if everyone had acted with the proper amount of care at the worksite.
The family of a man who died in a construction accident earlier in December has filed a lawsuit against several companies involved in the worksite where he lost his life. They believe that the companies did not follow adequate safety policies and procedures, contributing to the tragic incident.
According to the family’s attorney, the man was operating a skid steer loader, a type of tractor, at a construction site when a piece of concrete fell onto the bucket. The impact caused the tractor to fall over the edge of the fourth floor of the building the victim was working on.
The tractor went over the side and hit a protruding steel beam. The victim was thrown from the machine and fell onto a pile of rubble below. He suffered severe injuries to his head and torso. He was rushed to the hospital, but died of his injuries. He was 28.
Multiple investigations into the accident are ongoing. But it is possible that the concrete was improperly secured, or that the edges of the building should have fenced in. No matter the cause of a terrible construction site death, the victim’s next of kin could be eligible for workers’ compensation, to help make up the lost income.
Source: The Eagle, “Construction worker’s mother files lawsuit in Kyle Field fall death,” Dec. 23, 2013