Employees who work at construction sites can be in danger due to the number of risks associated with being on the job. One of the major risks that can occur on a Missouri job site is a construction accident. A 25-year-old man in another state was involved in a construction accident that caused significant and life-altering injuries.
Reportedly, as the man was working at a job site on an Interstate, a strap suddenly broke which caused a steel I-beam to drop onto his head. The man was transported to the hospital for treatment of his injuries. He suffered severe injuries to his back and sustained a cracked skull. The incident caused him to be paralyzed from the midsection down and confined him to a wheelchair. Within a six-month period, he underwent nine surgical procedures.
His spinal cord was also crushed and he is blind in his left eye. The man has been released and his home is now equipped to be handicap-accessible. Reportedly, a large portion of his medical costs were covered by workers compensation. He will still have other costs in the future.
A construction accident can cause permanent and life-changing injuries. The man will still need to go through rehabilitation for a possible chance of walking in the future. Employers have the duty to provide a safe environment for their workers. Employees who have been injured while on the job may have the right to file workers’ compensation claims against the employer. A successful Missouri workers’ compensation claim will allow an injured worker to pay for their medical expenses and cover some or all of their wages while unable to work.
Source: missoulian.com, “25-year-old paralyzed, nearly killed in construction accident returns to Ronan to continue rehabilitation“, Vince Devlin, March 30, 2014