Road construction workers nationwide, including in Colorado, put their lives on the line almost daily. Not only is their safety often compromised by negligent drivers who pass through construction zones but also by the dangerous equipment and construction vehicles on the work sites. In a tragic incident at a road construction zone in another state, two people were fatally injured at work.
According to a police report, the incident occurred during the mid-afternoon on a recent Tuesday. A driver of a dump truck that was backing up ran down two employees of the same crew. Reportedly, the two workers were directing the reversing driver in the truck. The victims were a 38-year-old man and a 50-year-old woman.
Officials said the woman died upon impact, and the man survived only until emergency workers arrived at the scene of the accident. Police reported that the truck driver was extremely traumatized and had to be transported to a hospital where he was kept for observation. The two deceased workers and the truck driver were employed by a paving contractor.
Such unexpected deaths of loved ones who were fatally injured at work are naturally extremely traumatizing for the surviving family members. Not only will they have to deal with their emotions but also with the financial hardships that will likely follow. Colorado families may pursue assistance to cope with the costs of end-of-life arrangements and basic living expenses after the sudden losses of income. Death benefits claims may be filed with the workers’ compensation insurance system by family members to pursue the financial assistance they may be needing.
Source: whsv.com, “No charges in fatal Rt. 11 construction mishap, investigation continues“, Matthew Fultz, Isabel Rosales, July 18, 2016
