Bellevue, WA — A worker was injured after he fell almost 20 feet into a pontoon while working on the 520 bridge in Bellevue, Washington, on Thursday, October 23, 2014. The accident took place around 4:30 in the afternoon.
The worker fell into a concrete pontoon that was under construction as part of a new span of the bridge. Rescue workers arriving on the scene were worried that the man may have suffered a spinal injury, however, they were able to safely remove him from the scene.
While no spinal injury was confirmed, the man did suffer multiple leg fractures. He was transported to Overlake Medical Center.
Exactly how the accident occurred is still being investigated. However, some reports are saying that the man fell from a section of scaffolding. The man’s name was not released.
Scene of the Accident
Commentary
News reports are saying that the man fell off a section of scaffolding. Something like that can be caused by a couple of different things. Sometimes it’s simple human error. Other times it happens because safety equipment will fail for one reason or another. What caused this particular accident will have a big impact on how it plays out. These are the two most likely scenarios. The first is that it was caused by human error. In this case, the worker is going to be covered by his employer’s workers’ comp policy. As many people know, workers’ comp is a benefit program that will cover medical costs and replace things like lost wages following an on-the-job accident. While workers’ comp will ensure that emergency and other forms of medical care are covered, it usually comes up far in regards to lost wages and rehabilitative car following an injury. It was a system designed by employers that tends to benefit employers. However, the coverage can be a big help in accidents that are relatively minor.
The second scenario involves safety equipment that was in some way defective. The injured worker is also going to be covered by workers’ comp in this scenario. In addition to that, the worker is also going to be able to file what’s called a products liability case against the manufacturer of the equipment. While workers’ comp covers several different kinds of accidents, in this case the manufacturer would be considered a third party and wouldn’t come underneath that umbrella.
— Grossman Law Offices
