With 55 mph wind gusts on a recent Tuesday morning, an unfinished church construction in Colorado had little chance of staying up. This was the wind speed reported by the National Weather Service for the City of Greeley on that day. One employee of the construction company was injured at work when the structure collapsed.
Reportedly, there were three construction workers on the site where work on an addition of 5,000 square feet to a church is underway. One of them apparently noticed the wooden structure swaying and called to the others to get clear of the building. One worker could not get away fast enough, and he became trapped under debris and wood.
A pastor who was in an office in the existing church became aware of the collapse at approximately 10:45 a.m. and called emergency services. Fire crews rushed to the scene and found only the one injured worker. They extricated him from the rubble and took him to paramedic services who transported the worker to a medical facility. Fortunately, the man suffered no life-threatening injuries.
Anybody who is injured at work — regardless of the severity of the injury — is entitled to claim workers’ compensation benefits. Even if the victim can return to full duty immediately after a medical evaluation, the costs of the medical services, treatment and medications can be claimed. These claims are classified as medical only, and compensation is typically immediately available. Workers in Colorado who have questions or problems receiving the benefits for which they are eligible can consult with an experienced workers’ comp attorney who may resolve the issues.
Source: greeleytribune.com, “One man injured when winds collapse building under construction in west Greeley“, Trevor Reid, March 7, 2017
