Earlier this month, a construction accident took the life of a 40-year-old construction worker from Akron, Ohio.
According to a local news report, the man was working on Interstate 77 in Brecksville, Ohio, at the time of his death. He was struck by a semi-tractor trailer on the interstate near an exit.
The driver of the tractor-trailer, after hitting the worker, did stop his vehicle. The 59-year-old is reportedly cooperating with investigators. There had been no citations or charges as of the time of the news report.
This man’s death, while tragic, may be a part of a developing trend. In the past three years, constructions workers have been injured or killed three times in that general area of the interstate, according to the news report.
Nationwide, construction accidents injure thousands of people each year. Research has actually shown that workers in the building industry are up to six times more likely to be involved in a fatal workplace accident than those in other industries. Even the safest construction sites in Ohio can pose the risk of construction accidents.
The Ohio Department of Transportation said that this fatal incident should serve as a reminder to all drivers on the road to pay special attention to their driving. Drivers need to obey the speed limit, put down their cell phones and resist distractions in order to avoid accidents like this, the department said to the news reporter.
While those precautions are very important and will certainly help increase safety for construction workers at that site, they will not bring this man back. This victim’s family will still be forced to cope in the aftermath of losing a loved one in such a sudden and tragic way.
Families who confront such tragedies need support to pick up the pieces – both emotionally, and financially. After a person dies on the job, their immediate family may be entitled to compensation for the lost wages in addition to other losses and expenses associated with the death.
Source: WTAM, “Construction worker killed on I-77,” Nov. 10, 2011