With so many tools and equipment found at construction site, accidents are common. These accidents can cause serious and even fatal injuries. One Florida construction worker recently died after he was run over by a dump truck that was on a Tampa construction site.
The construction accident occurred in the early morning hours of Nov. 23, while a construction crew was working on the Crosstown Expressway. A driver was backing up a dump truck and did not see the construction worker. He hit the worker, causing serious injuries. The man was taken to a local hospital for medical treatment, but he later died.
Investigators assessed the accident scene and found no evidence of foul play. The death is being considered an industrial accident, and the dump truck driver faces no charges at this time.
Some construction incidents are simply tragic accidents because they happen for no reason and could not have been prevented. The driver should have been able to see the worker and the worker should have been able to see the dump truck backing up and get out of the way in time to avoid getting hit. Even though the driver faces no charges, he might be held liable to some degree.
Another thing to consider is whether or not the company should be held liable. There probably should have been better safety procedures in place in order to prevent these types of accidents from occurring in the future. There could be, for instance, some type of alarms or signals to warn employees of trucks in motion so they can move out of the way.
In any case, it may be worthwhile for the man’s family to seek legal advice so they can determine if they should proceed with a wrongful death lawsuit. A lawsuit can bring financial recovery for damages caused by the man’s death, even if the dump truck driver is not facing any criminal charges.
Source: ABC Action News, “Police: Construction worker killed in an industrial accident on Crosstown” Kolby Kucyk, Nov. 23, 2013
