Construction has been taking place on the New Jersey Turnpike as its widening project is underway. Road construction projects pose many dangers to both motorists and pedestrians. However, according to The Star-Ledger, on the morning of July 11, 2011, it was a construction worker who was crushed and killed when a concrete barrier fell onto him from a flatbed truck trailer at a N.J. Turnpike construction site in Burlington County.
The worker was a driver for Tipton Trucking Company of Oxford, PA, a subcontractor for South State Inc. of Bridgeton, which is handling part of the Turnpike widening project. The deceased backed up a flatbed truck next to a crane which was to unload concrete barriers which were on the flatbed. After getting out of the vehicle, the worker began unlatching the straps and binders used to secure the barriers onto the flatbed. As he was undoing the straps, one of the barriers fell off of the flatbed and onto him. He was trapped and crushed. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), as well as State Police and other agencies, are investigating the accident.
Construction sites are often dangerous because workers are utilizing large pieces of machinery, tools and equipment. Work, at times, is performed at extreme heights, in trenches, underground and may include the use of potentially hazardous materials. The use of well-established safety procedures and precautions can help to prevent fatalities and injuries; and, a failure to comply with existing work safety guidelines may result in serious injuries or death, as occurred in this case.
At Blume Forte, our knowledgeable construction accident injury lawyers in New Jersey have experience handling all types of construction accident cases. If you or a loved one has been injured in a New Jersey workplace accident that you believe could have been prevented, our attorneys can determine whether your case has merit and advise you regarding your potential legal options. To learn more, call us at 973-845-4421.