A man who was working at a Maplewood church died Oct 21. The work injury occurred when a crane that the man was operating toppled over.
According to reports, the man was 34-years-old and worked as a construction worker. He was working at a church on McMenemy Street at the time of the accident. He was moving a large beam, but the crane’s outriggers located to the sides of the device gave way in the soil where the crane was located. The Maplewood Deputy Chief said that the soil may not have been solid enough to support the crane.
Authorities, including police and firefighters, got to the scene at about noon the day of the accident. Prior to their arrival, other employees at the scene attempted to dig the man out of the cab. Dirt had forced its way into the cab, breaking at least one window due to the amount of force. Emergency responders provided care to the victim while they also worked to get him out of the cab. They used saws and other tools to extricate him. Although he was transported to the hospital, he died from his injuries.
Minnesota workers’ compensation lawyers may be able to assist injured workers or their families if the worker was incapacitated or died due to a workplace accident. Construction workers may be at risk for sustaining several serious injuries, including crush injuries, back injuries and head injuries. Workers’ compensation benefits may provide awards to injured victims for lost wages, medical expenses and rehabilitation expenses. However, the workers’ compensation system can often be complicated, and rights can be barred if certain steps are not taken within a specified period of time. Workers’ compensation lawyers may be able to help injured workers with filing a claim.
Source: Star Tribune, “Man dies in Maplewood crane accident“, Nicole Norfleet, October 22, 2013
