Chicago residents have been afflicted by heavy snow this winter and people in other parts of the country have been hit hard as well. From New England to the Mid-Atlantic, Americans inside and outside of Chicago have suffered from weather-related car accidents, slips and falls and other forms of personal injury. A recent out-of-state accident now provides another venue where Americans have been affected by the snow: while at work.
Two men were killed when they came into contact with a dump truck that touched a live power line. The driver of the truck had gotten out of his vehicle after the dump truck raised its rig to remove snow that had collected inside. He touched the metal vehicle and suffered devastating injuries and another man also suffered serious burns and went into shock when he tried to lend aid to the first victim.
It took rescue crews some time to make the scene safe before either man could receive assistance. As a result of their construction injuries both men passed away. Several agencies including OSHA are investigating the deadly accident.
An electrical accident such as this one is very serious regardless of weather conditions. The extra moisture and hazards of the winter’s snow may have made the situation even worse. At the end of their investigations it is possible that the involved agencies may have some answers as to why the truck driver made the error of opening his rig into live power lines.
The loss of life that resulted from this incident is unfortunate and now the victims’ friends and families are left trying to figure out how to move forward. Though they may choose to grieve their losses privately they may also consider discussing the matter with construction accident attorneys who can guide them to possible options for collecting accident-related damages.
Source: NBC Connecticut, “2 Electrocuted, Killed in South Windsor Construction Accident,” Feb. 19, 2014
