CONSTRUCTION WORKERS’ ACCIDENTS: MAN FALLS FROM 9TH FLOOR

Illinois construction workers often find themselves on work sites and environments that are unstable, loud and dangerous. Despite safety regulations, training and required safety gear, construction workers’ accidents continue to occur, often resulting in serious injuries and deaths. One family in another state is questioning if there were enough safety procedures and precautions on a work site in the aftermath of their son’s death.

The 23-year-old worker was employed by a subcontractor that was installing rebar in a dormitory under construction. He was on the ninth floor of the building when he fell to his death. It is believed that he stepped on an unsecured piece of plywood near or in an elevator shaft that collapsed and resulted in his fall.

The official state investigation of the man’s death and the events that proceeded his fall is pending. According to the contractor, the worker’s job required him to be tethered, but it is believed that the victim was not at the time of his fall. The man’s father has reported being shown pictures of the accident site and believes that the environment should have been safer. Additionally, the father does not believe that enough handrails were in place in the elevator shaft to help stabilize workers as they traveled through the work site.

Sadly, the man had a 2-year-old daughter. In tragic construction workers’ accidents such as this one, some family members qualify for workers’ compensation death benefits. Compensation will not replace the loss of loved one, but it can assist with the transition and the loss of income provided. Illinois attorneys can assist families with filing a claim or, when appropriate, pursuing other available legal options for financial recourse.

Source: komonews.com, “State investigates construction worker’s deadly fall in Seattle“, Joel Moreno, Jan. 3, 2018