Worker Injured in Construction Zone in Illinois

 Posted on January 03, 2014 in Personal Injury

Earlier this month, KFVS12 reported on an accident that occurred in a construction zone. The crash, which happened on Illinois Route 14 and Hamilton County Road 1575E, injured a worker that was working in the area on December 4th. The construction worker was sent to the hospital as a result of his injuries, and may be able to receive workers' compensation.

As stated by Illinois State Police, the injured worker was seated in his stopped truck while working in the marked construction zone, and had the vehicle's hazard lights flashing at the time of the accident. State Police say the driver hit the rear of the worker's truck with her sport utility vehicle. Another construction worker, who was standing on the running board of the truck, was forced to jump off in order to avoid being involved in the accident himself.

In addition to the worker seated in the truck, the driver was transported to the hospital by an ambulance after the crash. The worker that was able to avoid being involved in the crash did not report any injuries associated with the incident. According to Illinois state police, the driver of the SUV was charged with failure to reduce speed to avoid an accident.

Fortunately, the worker seated in the truck did not report any injuries thus far, and it appears unlikely that he suffered any major injuries that will affect his health or medical condition in the long term. However, many injuries do not manifest until far beyond the accident. In those cases, it may be hard to prove that the injuries or later presented conditions were caused as a result of the accident that occurred in the construction zone.

Not all workers that are injured on the job are as fortunate as the worker in this case. Many are seriously injured and unable to work, or even suffer fatal injuries. Illinois law provides for workers who have been injured in the course of their employment to be compensated for lost wages and any medical expenses incurred as a result of the injuries.