Around 1:15 p.m. on Sept. 18, a trio of employees for the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation suffered injuries that required hospitalization after the side of the road on which they were working allegedly gave way. The line-painting truck rolled down a small embankment and came to rest upside down. One of the workers required an emergency flight to a Pittsburgh hospital approximately 25 miles away from the accident scene.
The painter working on the back of the truck ended up doused in paint and required the airlift. The other two crew members were treated for minor injuries at an area hospital and released later that day. The names of the truck operators had not been released as of Sept. 19.
The PennDOT employee who was driving the truck told the police that the shoulder of the road collapsed and caused the accident. Authorities were still investigating on the day after the accident to determine if aging infrastructure was to blame or if the driver was too close to the edge and toppled over.
Workplace Accidents such as this are not uncommon. Employees who are injured on the job may qualify for a number of benefits during their time of need. The workers' compensation laws in the state of Pennsylvania can be complicated, and there are deadlines for filing claims. It is crucial that injured workers understand the process in order to ensure their eligibility for benefits.
An attorney could be a valuable asset to someone who has suffered from an on-the-job accident. Legal counsel could help an injured worker compare the option of filing a workers' compensation claim with that of pursuing a personal injury lawsuit.
Source: WKBN, "3 hurt in PennDOT line-painting truck rollover", September 19, 2014
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