Highway construction worker crushed by paving machine

Whenever Denver construction workers are working near heavy machinery, there is the possibility that they will become injured. Most jobs, however, have considerable safety equipment and procedures in place so as to prevent these types of injuries. But, on occasion, a Colorado construction worker will be seriously injured when something goes terribly wrong. Luckily, injured employees can apply for workers’ compensation.

One of the most serious types of injuries is a crush injury. When a body part or the whole body is crushed by a machine, it can cause long-term and potentially life-threatening damage. In a recent story, a highway construction worker was crushed beneath a massive highway paving machine.

The construction worker had been working with his crew on an overnight highway paving project when the paving machine backed over the man. Colleagues and witnesses were not clear on how the man was crushed. The standard policy requires employees to spot each other whenever the heavier pieces of equipment are moved. All witnesses could say was that the construction worker was crushed when the paver backed up.

It took rescuers 45 minutes to free the construction worker from under the machine. The construction company had tried to use another machine to free the man, but they were unsuccessful and needed the help of local firefighters. The man was rushed to the hospital with a broken pelvis. He was admitted in critical condition, but doctors believe he will live.

Though this horrific accident did not happen in Colorado, it illustrates the dangerous conditions in which Denver-area construction workers must work. When these kinds of accidents do happen in Colorado, they often lead to workers compensation and disability claims.

Source: KVAL, “Injured worker pulled from under highway paving machine,” Valerie Hurst, Sept. 20, 2012

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