Texas Road Worker’s Death on the Job Draws Attention to Workplace Hazards Flaggers Face Every Day

The tragic and terrible news of the death of a senior citizen who was killed on the job in Texas is making headlines across the country and brings attention to the dangers of flagging work. According to local news reports, this week on Thursday, February 8, a flagger who worked at a Schertz, Texas business was killed in the early hours of the morning while he was working. The Schertz Police Department reports that the accident occurred near the 5800 block of Schertz Parkway at around 6:00 a.m. The victim of the accident, a 63-year-old flagger employee is said to have been “attempting to block the roadway” as part of his job, when he was struck by a vehicle. The flagger employee has been identified as Oscar Silvas of San Antonio, Texas. The driver of the vehicle, who is said to have stopped immediately upon realizing that he or she had hit Silvas, apparently claimed that Silvas was not visible until it was “too late”. As a result, the driver hit Silvas, resulting in the fatal accident. The incident is still being investigated, and charges may be filed.

The Hidden and Unexpected Dangers of Flagging Work

According to the Laborer’s Health and Safety Fund of North America, the work of a flagger is to protect other workers. As such, “Flaggers protect workers by providing temporary traffic control (TTC) and maintaining traffic flow through a work zone, despite a shutdown of lanes. They are often the first line of defense to stop motorists from accidentally driving into the work area.” The job of a flagger is, accordingly, quite dangerous, as flaggers must interact with pedestrians and vehicles alike, when directing the flow of traffic. By way of example, crossing guards alone, who are considered a type of flagger, have the highest risk jobs when it comes to workplace dangers of all construction jobs. In fact, for every 100,000 flaggers in the workforce, an astounding 41  are killed in the workplace each year.

Legal Help for Injured Workers in Mississippi – Mississippi Workers’ Compensation Lawyers

In Mississippi, when a worker is injured in a workplace accident, they may be entitled to important Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits while they are disabled from working their regular job. Under Mississippi workers’ compensation laws, most injured workers in Mississippi who experience a disabling workplace accident are entitled to certain financial benefits, such as wage replacement compensation, medical expense reimbursement, and other important benefits to get them back on their feet and back to work. In order to determine whether you may be owed Mississippi workers’ compensation benefits for your workplace injury, it is best to speak with an experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyer about your rights and options.

The experienced Mississippi workers’ compensation lawyers at Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC help injured Mississippi workers get workers’ compensation benefits due to them for their workplace injuries. They offer a free and confidential consultation to learn about your case and to see if they can fight for you. Contact Lunsford Baskin & Priebe, PLLC today and speak to a lawyer about your case for free.

Source:

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