Highway construction zones in Missouri will always be dangerous areas for workers even if all safety regulations are observed. Unfortunately, the chances are good that there will be an impaired, distracted or otherwise negligent driver passing through a construction zone, threatening the lives of the workers. One such incident claimed the life of a construction worker on a recent Thursday morning.
According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, MoDOT workers were clearing materials such as road salt off the roadway on Highway 100 in the vicinity of New Haven. Despite having all the required warning signs and lights up to warn approaching motorists of the presence of construction zone workers, an 80-year-old driver in a sedan struck one of the workers. Reportedly, the driver failed to notice a dump truck that was in his lane, and when he swerved to avoid the truck, he struck the worker.
The deceased worker was reported to be a senior member of the maintenance team with 30 years of work experience with MoDOT. He was declared dead at the accident scene. The driver of the sedan was transported to a hospital with injuries that were reported to be non-life-threatening. It is yet to be determined whether the driver was impaired or suffering a medical emergency that may have caused his actions.
The surviving family members of this construction worker will have to cope with the financial consequences of this fatal workplace accident while they are trying to come to terms with his unanticipated death. Fortunately, the Missouri workers’ compensation insurance system provides financial support in the form of death benefits. Dependents may file claims for these benefits that typically include compensation to cover end-of-life expenses and a portion of lost wages.
Source: fox4kc.com, “MoDOT worker struck and killed in construction zone in eastern Missouri“, April 7, 2016