Somerset County, Pennsylvania - Construction Accident Along PA Turnpike Claims Life Of Worker

Dwight Fischer, The 59-Year-Old Victim From Waterfall, Was Declared Dead At Conemaugh Memorial

Fischer, a worker for New Enterprise Stone and Lime, had been working at a site on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in the Somerset County area. It was around midnight on Tuesday, September 24th when the incident would occur.

It seems that Fischer was operating a skid loader, a piece of equipment commonly encountered on construction sites, when he exited the vehicle to clean its windshield. It was at this time that a second vehicle, a tri-axle truck, was reversed into the skid loader, pinning Fischer in between.

A call was placed to emergency units who responded and chose to airlift the victim to Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center in Johnstown. Unfortunately, Fischer passed away only a few hours afterward in the OR due to trauma suffered in his upper chest.

Pennsylvania State Police are investigating; OSHA is also believed to be involved.

Legal Herald contributor and construction accident attorney Brian Kent has experience in cases relating to construction accidents and deaths. He had the following insight to offer for victims who may have suffered injuries while on a worksite:

“OSHA (Occupational Health and Safety Administration) reports that one in five workers killed in the US in the year 2017 was in the construction industry. Additionally, of these deaths, the second most common cause involved victims getting caught or in-between objects.

In hopes of avoiding and reducing these incidents, OSHA is constantly updating and implementing standards that must be followed on the worksite, whether they involve heavy machinery or not. Unfortunately, time and money are big concerns in construction projects, and these can sometimes be prioritized over the safety and health of the workers.

Whatever the case of the injury, workers have the right to submit a worker’s compensation claim. If successful, this claim can help cover medical and other expenses resulting from an injury. Depending on the circumstances, namely if the employer was not paying for insurance coverage, there may be the possibility of filing a lawsuit to recoup damages.

Both of these legal options can sound intimidating, but they are some of the few ways in which victims and their loved ones can obtain the financial support they need after suffering a workplace accident.”

Source

www.wearecentralpa.com/news/local-news/construction-worker-dies-from-accident-along-pa-turnpike/