Many of the accidents that we have covered in this blog are about Colorado employees who are injured because their employers don’t do enough to provide safe workplaces. While these types of scenarios are a common cause of on-the-job injuries, sometimes workers are injured in accidents that could not have been predicted, but just like any other workplace accident, employees who are injured are often eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.
In this story, a group of restaurant employees were injured when their building was razed by an explosion. Fourteen people were seriously injured in the explosion and fire and at least one person was killed. It is still unknown how many of those injured were restaurant employees and whether the body that was found was that of someone who worked at the restaurant. Emergency medical responders are continuing to excavate the restaurant and look for at least one worker who remains missing.
It is believed that the explosion was caused by someone hitting a natural gas line, but investigators are still looking into who that might have been or what exactly happened. It was reported that gas company employees were on the scene prior to the explosion, but it is clear that they were not entirely sure where the leak was coming from before the restaurant blew up.
At the time of the explosion, it appears that only employees were in the restaurant after having sent patrons home. The explosion did damage the strip mall in which the restaurant was located, however, so it is not entirely clear if it was only restaurant employees who were injured in the blast.
Source: USA Today, “Body found in rubble of Kansas City gas blast,” William M. Welch and Dough Stanglin, Feb. 20, 2013
Following a workplace injury, many people in Colorado need medical treatment, but are stymied from collecting for their medical bills by a workers’ compensation insurance company. Find out how we have worked with victims of on-the-job accidents to get compensation for medical treatment by visiting our website.
