On December 12, 2005 two construction workers were killed at a building site in Chicago’s South Side when a crane dropped a concrete slab. The block, estimated at 4,000 pounds, caused the death of the men who where working on the third floor. Rescue efforts quickly turned into recovery efforts when it was clear that the two men could not be saved, and emergency crews became concerned about further structural collapse.
Witnesses at the scene claim that the slab was “teetering” as it was being lifted to the fifth floor. Several contractors were involved with the operation, which was at the time installing the concrete slabs as flooring. When this particular piece was put into place, the floor collapsed, causing it to fall onto the fourth floor, which also failed to hold the weight. It is unclear whether the “teetering” was a direct contributor to the accident. It is also unclear whether the men were killed by the slab itself, or by other debris from the collapsing floors.
However an attorney representing the family of one of the victims says he is sure of one thing: the floor was not properly reinforced to withstand the weight of the concrete. A suit filed with the Cook County circuit court named several contractors as defendants, including the general contractor, the crane operator, the concrete contractor, and the masonry contractor. He added that this type of accident does not happen except due to negligence.
For the wife of the victim, she says she has two motivations for filing the suit. First, she wants to ensure that her three children, all 10-years old and younger, are “protected for the future.” But she also wants her children to know the truth, that their father took every precaution while at work and could not have prevented this from happening himself.
The investigation will likely continue into 2006, though the family’s lawyer indicated in late December that there were mistakes made by several different parties. This will certainly make deciding who holds how much responsibility for the accident more difficult, as will determining compensation.
If you or a loved one has been injured on the job at a construction site, you may not realize that you have certain rights. While construction work can be dangerous it is the responsibility of your employer and other contractors on site to manage those risks to prevent injury. You should not have to pay your medical bills or take on the burden of lost wages alone. Call attorney David I. Fuchs for legal assistance and guidance at 800-570-2858.