Submitted by Aiken Jacobsen on
Sacramento residents are no strangers to construction accidents. As with any California city, there are constant needs for maintenance and repair work in order to keep the city in good order. From time to time, however, something goes awry and there is potential for great devastation. In fact, crane accidents like the one detailed below can, in some cases, be deadly.
At about 4 a.m. on the morning of Sept. 12, two Sacramento construction workers were taken to the hospital with critical injuries caused by a fallen object. The two men were part of a subcontracting digging a trench for a pipeline for a California utility company. Apparently, they were the only two not physically in the trench when a heavy metal object fell on them.
According to a West Sacramento police officer, the crane was lifting up a panel when the chain attached to the panel somehow slipped. The officer added that the California Division of Occupational Safety and Health is expected to inspect the scene of the event. Nevertheless, both men suffered significant injuries -- one to the head and the other to the leg.
It is uncertain how long both men will be out of work, or if they will fully recover to the extent that they will be able to perform the normal duties of their job. While the others at the scene are probably remorseful for the accident, it is unclear whether there was negligence involved. Crane accidents can prove significant, so both workers may need to pursue workers' compensation claims, or even potentially a personal injury claim against any third party that may be found to have been negligent.
Source: The Sacramento Bee, Two critically injured in West Sacramento industrial accident, Bill Lindelof, Sept. 18, 2013
