Illinois construction workers face many potential hazards on a daily basis. Fires and explosions are among the most deadly and traumatic events imaginable. Typically, there is very little warning that an explosion is about to occur, and a worker who is caught near an explosion can easily be killed or severely burned.
Recently in Maryville, an explosion rocked a neighborhood and sent a construction worker to the hospital with burns that covered more than 70 percent of his body. According to the Maryville Police Chief, the accident took place in the early afternoon as a construction crew was working on an excavation project. As they worked, the crew struck a steel gas line, triggering the explosion.
Reportedly, the explosion unleashed a towering fireball. As the fire continued to rage, emergency workers arrived on the scene. The police chief stated that the rescue team’s efforts were impeded due to the intense heat generated by the flames.
According to an eyewitness, the injured person, an equipment operator, was carried from the blaze by a Maryville police officer. From the accident site, the equipment operator was taken to a Maryville hospital, where he was transferred to a hospital that has a burn unit.
According to the police chief, there was no word regarding the precautions taken by the construction company that was working on the project.
Burn injuries are extremely painful and can leave disfiguring scars. Moreover, recovery for such injuries can take a long time and be very expensive. Burn victims and their families need compensation to cover the costly medical expenses associated with treatment. When attempting to determine an amount that represents appropriate compensation, the victim’s immediate and long-term needs must be taken into account.
If you or a family member are suffering the pain and trauma caused by an injury suffered in a workplace explosion, you may wish to take the matter to a workers’ compensation attorney. An attorney can assess the full measure of your needs and work to get you the money you need while you tend to the business of recovery.
Source: Belleville News Democrat, “Gas main explosion badly burns construction worker; Maryville police officer pulls him to safety,” Kaitlyn Schwers, Lexi Cortes, Elizabeth Donald, Apr. 6, 2016