A crowd gathered at Shaw University’s Thomas J. Boyd Chapel on March 27 in downtown Raleigh to remember three men who worked as construction workers at the Charter Square project on Fayetteville Street. The three men died in a scaffolding accident on March 23 when the scaffolding collapsed at about 11 a.m.
Two of the men involved in the accident were from Durham while one man was from Clinton. Two were employed by Juba Aluminum Products, and the other man worked for KEA Contracting, Inc. Juba Aluminum Products builds aluminum panels, storefronts and curtain walls, and the company has received four serious citations for violations since 1988. Another man was seriously injured in the accident, and he is an Associated Scaffolding Equipment employee.
Representatives from Choate Construction and Shaw both attended the vigil to pay their respects. The interim president at Shaw remarked that the men were like neighbors and that the company would extend them the concern and care that one should for a neighbor.
While the details involved in this case are unclear, workers’ compensation insurance exists to provide benefits to injured employees or the families of deceased workers when a workplace accident occurs. There are some instances where one might not be eligible for workers’ compensation, but this usually occurs when a worker intentionally tries to become injured. Generally, employees are entitled to benefits for an on the job injury even if an accident was the worker’s fault. If one is killed while working, the family of the deceased can receive benefits to help pay for funeral costs and living expenses. The assistance of an attorney can be helpful throughout the process.
Source: WNCN, “Vigil held Friday for victims of Raleigh scaffolding accident”, Mike Lamia, 03/27/2015