Construction workers’ accidents: Driver guilty of killing 2 men

In May 2014, two men in another state lost their lives when a truck smashed into them in the construction zone where they were working. Fatal construction workers’ accidents in work zones on the nation’s roads are especially tragic because the deceased are often those who are working to improve the quality and safety of streets and highways. New York workers may be interested in the outcome of a criminal case that followed the death of the two employees.

Court documents indicate that the two workers, ages 24 and 49, were just finishing their work shift and removing barriers at the work zone on Interstate 69 when a truck smashed into an arrow board. Reportedly, the arrow board instructed drivers to move over to the adjacent traffic lane to ensure the safety of workers. When the truck hit the board, it also struck the two workers.

According to prosecutors, evidence indicated that the truck driver had been driving at a speed higher than 70 mph at the time of impact. It was also said that the force of the impact at that speed was enough to move a construction truck weighing 10,000 pounds 28 feet from where it was standing. At the end of the three-day trial, the jury found that the truck driver’s recklessness caused the deaths of the two construction workers. He will be sentenced at a later date.

The surviving family members of the deceased workers will be entitled to pursue financial assistance to help with the expenses related to funerals and burials, along with a financial package to cover living expenses for a prescribed period. This can be done by filing death benefits claims with the state’s workers’ compensation insurance program. Victims of construction workers’ accidents in New York — or the families of those who lost their lives — may benefit from consulting with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney who will evaluate the case and suggest the most appropriate way to pursue compensation.

Source: indystar.com, “Man guilty in I-69 road workers’ deaths“, Sara Salinas, July 13, 2016