The summer months bring a lot of activity to roads throughout the state of Pennsylvania. In addition to the increase in traffic volume that occurs when people take to the roads in good weather to go somewhere, the warm weather brings others to the road as well—maintenance workers. These workers often work alongside traffic, sometimes making their job dangerous.

Recently two Pennsylvania Turnpike maintenance workers were involved in a workplace accident. The two men were located in a lane that was closed for maintenance when a tractor-trailer entered it, striking them. A 61-year-old man died as a result of the injuries he suffered. The other man, identified as a foreman, was transported to an area hospital for treatment. His injuries were described as minor and he was later released.

It is unclear what caused the driver of the tractor-trailer, who also sought treatment at a hospital, to enter the closed lane. There are many reasons why this might have happened ranging from equipment failure to distracted driving. It is also possible that the driver could have experienced a medical emergency or simply fallen asleep.

If the worker who survived the crash finds it necessary to take some time away from work to heal from his injuries he may decide to seek workers’ compensation benefits from his employer. He may also decide to file a lawsuit against the company that employs the truck driver. A similar course of action could be taken by the loved ones of the worker who died. Because there is a time limit in which these types of cases can be filed, it is best to explore this option sooner rather than later.

Source: The Times Herald, “Police probe crash that killed Pa. Turnpike worker from Montgomery County,” Michael N. Price, June 3, 2014