There is no facet of work in the construction industry in which employees can or should ever take safety for granted. People in Wisconsin who work in construction know this, even if they are only on active job sites for a portion of the time they are at work. These locations can feature multiple hazards from heavy equipment to dangerous tools and more. A jobsite does not have to be related a large, complex project in order to be dangerous, either.
One man in Illinois knows this all too well after he lost his foot in an incident while working at a private residence in the autumn of 2016. As reported by ForConstructionPros.com, the man was only 28 years old at the time of the incident and he was hired as an independent worker by a general contractor who was overseeing a job at a home in Cook County. In addition to hiring individual workers, the general contractor also hired another company to deliver concrete for the work to be done.
While at the home, the operator of the concrete truck drove the vehicle and hit the 28-year-old independent laborer. The impact knocked the man to the ground. In the process, the truck ran over and crushed one of his feet. The foot had to be amputated above the man’s ankle, leaving him with a permanent injury to manage and a reduced ability to earn a living for the rest of his life.
The man sued the concrete company and the case was settled just one day before a trial was set to begin. The man will receive $10 million in compensation for his lifelong injury.
