Our Miami readers — especially those who work in the construction industry — know that going to work each day has its risks. Any type of work environment can lead to an injury, but a construction site is a common cause of workplace injuries and deaths. Construction accidents can be caused by many factors. An accident in California occurred when a truck ran over a construction worker, killing him.
The accident occurred on the afternoon of Aug. 27 at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. The 62-year-old worker was laying down asphalt for a new track when he was run over by a truck. It is believed that the truck was having problems with the brakes. People were yelling at the driver to stop.
Employees from Robert A. Bothman Construction Company had spent the summer renovating the track. They were replacing the irrigation and grass to make it suitable for all weather conditions. The company was fined $300 for a violation in 2003, but has had no record of workplace violations since then.
California’s Division of Occupational Safety and Health has been investigating the incident to determine what went wrong. No one else was injured. There were no students at the scene, as school was not yet in session.
It is always unfortunate when an employee is killed on the job. If in fact the brakes were not working on the truck, the company could be held liable. Company owners must ensure that equipment used on the job is in safe working order. Regular maintenance must be done on equipment and vehicles to ensure that they run properly so no accidents occur.
If a loved one is killed while on the job, surviving family members have legal rights. They may wish to take action against the liable parties in order to be made financially whole and seek closure.
Source: NBC Bay Area, “Livermore Man Killed in Berkeley Construction Accident” No author given, Aug. 28, 2013
