Although most people in New Jersey might have spent New Year’s Eve celebrating the changing of the calendar, there was at least one person who was not able to participate. That person is a construction worker who was injured at work on that day. Even though the accident occurred in 2019, he can still pursue workers’ compensation for any related injuries.
On Dec. 31, 2019, the 64-year-old man was working at the site of a utility repair project. He is employed by one of the companies helping with the ongoing project. At the time of the accident he was working in an on-site ditch. For reasons that are not yet clear, the ditch partially collapsed. The man was trapped at least briefly by the collapse.
Police responded to the scene and were able to help the victim’s co-workers safely remove him from the collapsed ditch. He suffered injuries in his lower extremities not considered life-threatening and had to be taken to an area hospital. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration — OSHA — has already launched an investigation into the accident.
Just because an injury is not life-threatening does not mean that it cannot negatively impact a person’s life. Workplace accidents — especially those that occur in construction — can make it impossible to work. Not working means that a person will probably not receive a paycheck, and medical bills related to the accident can pile up much faster than people realize. Workers’ compensation benefits can give workplace accident victims the financial security to focus on recovering.