An Albuquerque father dove into 10-feet of sewage to save his 5-year-old son who had fallen into an uncovered manhole in the middle of a construction zone.
While the family was taking an evening walk, the metal cover that should have been on the manhole was gone. The boy had run ahead and fell in. The father jumped into the sewage and his wife pulled them above ground. The son was very shaken up, but unharmed. The father went to the emergency room because of bacteria he might have picked up from the sewage.
One week after the accident, no changes were implemented to the construction site. The father demanded that the City of Albuquerque improve public safety.
He thinks the steel plate covering the manhole is not adequate protection since anyone can easily take it off. But the city can’t change the covers because if it was heavier it would be hard to get off if there was an accident. The city says increased patrol went up in the construction area.
There are 150,000 construction site accident injuries each year according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health reported in 2005 that 1,224 construction workers died on the job over the course of one year, making the construction industry the most dangerous in the world.
If you as a passer-by have been injured in a construction accident, or as a worker have been injured, contact Crowe Arnold & Majors, LLP today to see how our personal injury lawyers can help you get the justice you deserve.
