Construction worker badly injured in Charlotte accident

Accidents can happen at any kind of workplace, but, as North Carolina construction workers know all too well, some workplaces are more dangerous than others. Working on scaffolding high off the ground, handling heavy equipment or just walking through unfinished buildings can mean that one slip can lead to serious injury.

Recently in Charlotte, a construction worker was badly injured when he fell 20 feet at a construction site. Fire department officials said the man was working on an apartment building under construction near the intersection of Barclay Downs Drive and Morrison Boulevard when he somehow fell and landed on an elevated platform. Firefighters had to use one of the construction crew’s cranes to access the man.

Paramedics described the man’s injuries as life threatening.

Because construction workers’ accidents are so likely to lead to serious injury, construction workers who are hurt on the job may face enormous medical expenses and long periods of recovery, during which they will not be able to earn income.

North Carolina’s workers’ compensation system can help them with these losses by paying predetermined amounts in benefits. Workers don’t need to show that their employers did anything wrong before they collect benefits, they just need to show that they were on the job when they were injured. Employers have insurance coverage to help them cover the costs. If all goes as it should, the injured should receive the benefits they need to help them recover.

Unfortunately, injured workers often have a hard time collecting all the benefits they deserve because insurance companies are reluctant to pay. At times like these, North Carolina workers need the help of attorneys who have experience in navigating the often contentious world of workers’ compensation benefits.

Source: Time Warner Cable News, “Construction Worker Injured in 20 Foot Fall in South Charlotte,” Oct. 2, 2014