Girders Collapse Injuring four Workers

Four workers were injured, one of them critically, when a portion of the Texas A&M University’s Equine Center when the steel frame of a building that was under construction on the west side of the campus collapsed over the weekend. According to a College Station Fire Department spokesperson, the incident happened on Saturday morning at about 10:50 a.m. when metal beams from a 300 foot long barn being constructed at the 3500 block of F and B Roads near FM 2818. The workers were elevated at 35 feet and were tying steel together when the collapse happened. Texas A&M University Police Lieutenant, Alan Baron, said that a total of 13 emergency units from College Station, Bryan, and University Police were at the scene of the accident. The injured workers – among about 25 or 30 at the site at the time – were trapped until about 11:18 a.m. Search-and-rescue efforts were temporarily suspended while the remainder of the structure was stabilized, according to the fire department’s statement. After a second search of the area, no other injuries were reported. Gamma Construction Company of Houston, Texas has been overseeing the project. Eyewitnesses said that the sound from the collapse was loud enough that it could be heard from miles away. Motorists travelling down F and B Road were reported to be stopping in order to view the destruction at the site. The four injured workers were taken from the accident to St. Joseph Regional Health Center n Bryan, hospital spokesman, Tim Ottinger said. Among the injured were a 35-year-old man, who was admitted in critical condition, two 22-year-old men admitted in stable condition, and a fourth man, age 32, who was treated and released. The Texas A&M University Police Department and Gamma Construction Company are investigating as to the cause of the incident. On-the-job injuries can happen for a number of reasons. Some are due to worker negligence or failing to take proper safety precautions. Construction jobsites see a higher number of workplace injuries because of the constant use of heavy machinery and industrial level equipment, the use of hazardous substances and materials and because of construction workers often being required to perform their jobs at high elevations at the job site. Injuries that happen on the job can put you in a difficult situation. Added to the concern about a potential loss of income, there are unfortunately some unscrupulous employers who will simply terminate injured employees rather than compensate them for their injuries. Some will even try to do all that they can to get that employee to quit or change the rules so that the odds are always in the favor of the employer. Even in right to work states, employees who are injured while on the job, do have rights. While workers’ compensation Most labor laws were written to protect both the injured employees and the employers. Even when every party acts in good faith, for some on the job injury cases, litigation is the only way that the matter can be settled fairly. If you have been injured on the job, give our offices a call. Before you sign a statement with your employer or workman’s compensation or insurance, you need a legal representative with years of experience with on-the-job accident cases. We will take the time to listen to the details of your case and outline a course of action so that you can receive compensation for medical expenses, long term care, a permanent injury settlement or other more catastrophic costs that have occurred due to your workplace accident. We are here to help you, and your initial consultation is free to you