On behalf of Brown & Crouppen, P.C. posted in Workers’ Compensation on Wednesday, May 23, 2012
With motor vehicles whizzing by just a few feet from where they work, road construction crews have a dangerous job. State governments have attempted to protect road workers by posting lower speed limits in construction zones and issuing large fines for those caught speeding there.
But some people do not recognize the danger they pose when they drive negligently near road construction. That appears to be what happened in a freeway accident that took place in the St. Louis metro area on May 22 that has claimed the life of one worker and seriously injured three others.
According to an eyewitness, a man was driving on Interstate 64 in Fairview Heights, Illinois, when he entered an area where a road crew was repainting the stripes on the highway. The witness said the car began swerving all over the road, driving on both the median and shoulder to weave through traffic as it approached a striping truck with several workers on it.
The car crashed into the truck at between 50 to 60 miles per hour, causing the men to fly off and land on the road. Two men were airlifted to St. Louis University Hospital in critical condition. One of the workers, 48, died of his injuries at the hospital. Two other workers were taken to the hospital with injuries.
The driver of the car was also injured. The witness described him as disoriented and dazed following the accident. Police plan to investigate whether he was intoxicated.
When a person dies of a work-related injury, besides the tragic loss of companionship, his or her family also loses the financial support of his or her career. Workers’ compensation death benefits are designed to partially compensate the family for this.
Source: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “One worker dies, 3 hurt in crash on Interstate 64,” May 23, 2012
