This article from the Sacramento Bee presents a strange tale of work injuries on a construction site. The incident occurred in downtown Sacramento on eastbound Highway 50. At the construction zone for the Fix50 project, three workers were injured during an unusual event. In what must be deemed an unfortunate matter, a worker unintentionally swung the end of a 20-foot board over a concrete barrier that separated the construction area from vehicles that were driving on Highway 50. At the same time that the board was traveling over the barrier, a big rig truck was driving nearby at around 25 to 35 miles per hour. The truck then hit the large board causing it to fly out of the worker’s hands and strike nearby workers.
A Perilous Environment
And while this event may be an unusual incident, it is unfortunately not rare for such dangerous events to occur at construction sites. Such an event only highlights how dangerous an occupation that construction workers have. Two of the injured workers had to be transported to the hospital for their injuries. The matter shows to what extent life-threatening injuries are possible during construction work. The Caltrans director states as much when she says that highway work is a particularly dangerous job and that more Caltrans construction workers have been killed during the course of their employment than highway patrolmen.
Importance of Workers’ Compensation
This event highlights the importance of workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation is a system that ensures that workers who are injured during the course of their employment have the opportunity to receive treatment for their injuries and to provide from themselves and their families while they are injured. In the state of California, workers’ compensation permits workers to potentially obtain the following benefits: medical care, temporary disability benefits, permanent disability benefits, supplemental job displacement benefits, and death benefits.
As the article highlighted, it is very common for accidents to occur in construction zones, so when trying to obtain legal assistance for cases involving construction site accidents, it is in your best interest to find lawyers that have experience in this field.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, your first step should be to hire an experienced attorney. There are important deadlines when filing for workers’ compensation, and your claim could become invalid if you wait too long. The lawyers at the Appel Law Firm LLP have a strong reputation in the field of workers’ compensation, and also have a strong practice involving construction site accidents. If you need legal assistance, you should contact the Appel Law Firm LLP today.
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