Construction Accident Round-up: One Dead, Two Injured in Separate Accidents

Waverly, IAA construction accident recently claimed the life of a construction worker in Iowa. In a separate incident, two others were seriously injured when scaffolding collapsed at a construction site in Massachusetts. The unfortunate mishaps illustrate how dangerous construction work can be and how important it is to follow safety protocol onsite.


Accidents increase when those responsible for construction sites decide to cut corners in an effort to speed the job and reduce costs. There is no indication in any of these forgoing incidents, so far, of any lapses in safety protocols.

The Associated Press (AP) reported earlier this month that Larry Reisner, 51 of Oelwein, Iowa, died after being struck in the head by a brace supporting a concrete cast at the new Waverly-Shell Rock Middle School, which was under construction at the time. He reportedly succumbed to his injuries at University Hospitals in Iowa City on July 3.

Meanwhile, in an unrelated construction accident, two workers were rushed to hospital with "significant injuries" after the scaffolding on which they were working collapsed in Groton, Massachusetts. The Lowell Sun did not reveal the specific worksite or the names of the two injured construction workers.

The Chief of Police for the local force told the press that the construction accident happened sometime between 8 am and 8:30 am on July 8 toward the beginning of the work day. The injured workers were rushed to Nashoba Valley Medical Center and then transported to UMass Memorial Medical Center in Worcester with injuries that Police Chief Donald Palma called "significant."

Construction sites are risky places to work at the best of times. Sponsors and operators of construction sites can help mitigate the risk by ensuring equipment is safe and well-maintained, and that safety equipment and protocols are used and observed, in an effort to avoid construction site accidents. The circumvention of safety protocols often result in a construction accident lawsuit.