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Scaffolding fall seriously injures Connecticut man

A few days ago, a 46-year-old Connecticut man who was working on the roof of a four-story triplex fell about 45 feet to the ground. The scaffolding he had been using was found broken into pieces near him. The New London Fire Department and the New London Police Department were both called to the scene to assist in the rescue.

A local law enforcement officer said that “either the scaffolding gave way or he fell between the scaffolding and the house.” The man was conscious and alert, but appeared to be seriously injured.

Not wanting to wait the 30 minutes for the Life Star helicopter to arrive, paramedics immediately transported the man to a local hospital where he was stabilized. Life Star then transported him to Yale-New Haven Hospital.

According to police, as the man spoke with first responders, he indicated that he had no feeling below his waist. In addition to the fire marshal, the building inspector was at the scene to assist with the investigation. As of yet, no report has been released that indicates who the man was working for or whether or not there were any other workers at the site.

Scaffolding accidents are some of the most common accidents on construction sites. This is the second accident that has occurred in Connecticut in the last couple of months. On Sep. 4, we reported on a Washington man who fell off of scaffolding and plunged 30 feet to his death.

Workers who are injured on the job need to be aware of their entitlement to compensation. Sometimes employers and insurance companies will fight very hard to deny a compensation claim, or the compensation offered isn’t enough to cover expenses related to the work-related accident. In that case, the injured worker or his or her family will need the help of an attorney who is fluent in workers’ compensation law.

Source: New London Patch, “Man Seriously Injured in Fall From Scaffolding,” Dirk Langeveld, Sep. 24, 2012

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