A tragic fall from a scaffold at a construction site on Thursday left a 27-year-old ironworker dead and another worker in critical condition at a UChicago Medicine building. The accident happened when high winds knocked the workers from a scaffold to the ground, according to a Fire Department spokesman. The survivor was listed in critical condition at UChicago Medicine, a few steps from the site. OSHA is investigating.
Sadly, construction site accidents often result in serious injuries or wrongful death. OSHA said that 65% of construction accidents occur while workers are on scaffolds that were not erected or used properly. Heavy equipment, ladders, sharp tools, and chemical injuries can exacerbate the accidents.
Construction accident injuries usually affect the back, neck, brain, and spinal cord. Broken bones and knee and ankle injuries occur as well. As noted by workplace accident lawyers in Chicago, these types of injuries can take a long time to heal and require expensive medical treatment that impacts not only the individual but their family.
Damages often include immediate and future medical expenses, physical therapy, lost income, and non-economic damages like pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of limb, and PTSD.
While compensation for pain and suffering and other non-economic damages can’t reverse the harm, it can help victims get better medical care and relieve the financial burden on the victim and family members.
Even when an employer follows OSHA injury prevention regulations, workers sometimes suffer serious injuries caused by the negligence of third parties. In these cases, an injury victim could benefit from filing a third-party injury claim rather than claiming benefits through workers’ compensation which doesn’t allow payment for pain and suffering. Liability for third-party claims can include a property owner, architects, engineers, and the manufacturer of a defective product or equipment used on the job.
If the insurance company fails to offer an ample settlement for damages, you and your attorney can choose to file a lawsuit in Illinois as long as it’s less than two years from the date the injury occurred. Remember that insurance companies exist to make profits and often try to deny valid claims to protect the company’s bottom line. It’s best to hire a Chicago injury lawyer immediately after an injury. You pay nothing unless the lawyer wins your case.
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