Iowa construction worker was killed while working on a bridge. His employer may now be facing a civil lawsuit

Authorities were in the process of investigating the death of a construction worker who was killed on a highway job site in Polk County, Iowa. 

Construction worker is killed after taking a serious fall

The accident happened at about 8:30am on a Thursday morning near mile marker 133 on Interstate 80 west. This construction site was several miles northwest of the city area, near the Des Moines River. 

The victim’s coworkers reported that he had fallen about thirty feet from scaffolding on a river bridge that was under construction, and he appeared to have suffered a head injury. Emergency crews from the Polk County Sheriff and Saylor Township Fire Department arrived and transported the victim to a local hospital, but he was unresponsive at the time and died shortly after arrival. 

The 56 year old male victim was from Altoona Township. He worked for the construction firm Cramer and Associates, which is based out of Grimes.   

Laws related to accidents that cause death

When someone dies in a work related accident, they are obviously not present to speak with an attorney and file a lawsuit. However, other family members can do this on their behalf with the help of an experienced wrongful death attorney. 

Each state has slightly different wrongful death laws, but like most other states Iowa allows a victim’s family to collect certain kinds of damages that are associated with deadly incidents. They can recover costs related to medical bills or hospital treatment. The sudden expense of a funeral and burial arrangements can also be added to damages. The amount of money the person would have earned in the future can become the most significant source of compensation for the family, especially if the person was young or had high earning potential. 

There is a significant non-economic form of loss that can be awarded in a wrongful death case that is tied to the family’s emotional suffering and mental pain. Lawyers who practice in this area of the law know how to make a strong argument to a jury that will help them sympathize with the victim’s family. 

Injuries that happen at work

Because this situation occurred at a workplace, there are other rules that also become important. A typical workplace injury will allow the injured worker to receive their lost wages through a workers compensation claim. Employers must purchase special insurance to prepare for this possibility. 

The employer may also be named as the defendant in any civil lawsuit. If an investigation uncovers that the worker was exposed to a dangerous situation or safety regulations were violated, the company can be sued for negligence. Negligence essentially means that a person or entity at fault was not careful enough, and caused some kind of injuries or harm to others. Most civil personal injury lawsuits are actually filed as negligence cases. They allow for similar damage claims to wrongful death cases, except things like funeral expenses are not included.  

Get more information about lawsuits from attorneys in Iowa

There are lawyers who are licensed to practice anywhere in the state who focus on various kinds of injury cases. Eells and Tronvold Law Offices provide clients with superior legal representation.