Accident on Phoenix worksite leads to amputation

On Aug. 8, 2006 a construction worker was pinned under 200 tons of concrete for seven hours, which eventually led to medical amputation of both legs to save his life. The 28-year old heavy equipment operator was using a front-end loader to tear down a wall of a building in downtown Phoenix. The demolition was part of a $600 million project to expand the Phoenix Convention Center.

Over 100 firefighters were on the scene, clearing debris and trying to lift the massive blocks of concrete away from the area where the worker was trapped. The stifling heat – it was over 100 degrees at points during the rescue – did not help matters much. But reports from the scene indicated that both the victim and crews were all in good spirits. A medical team was on hand in case a field amputation was necessary to remove him from the debris.

Ultimately, crews were able to free him without field amputation and he was rushed to hospital in critical but stable condition. The worker had sustained a broken leg and serious crushing tissue injuries. Doctors managed to get the circulation going again, allowing blood flow to circulate through his legs to help rejuvenate tissue cells and assist in the healing process.

Unfortunately, it was too late. The crushed tissue cells in his leg began to die despite treatment. As the cells die, doctors explained, they release toxins into the blood that then begin to affect the whole body. In essence, the deterioration of his leg tissue was slowly killing him. Less than a week after the accident, doctors decided that amputation of both legs was the only way to save him.

Surgeons amputated his left leg below the knee, and were forced to remove most of his right leg. After the operation, doctors said that the victim was responding well to treatment, though they were still closely monitoring his kidney function.

This was not the first accident on the work site. In 2005, a steelworker fell over 100 feet to his death while working on the project. In a separate incident, another worker fell 60 feet and survived. A scaffolding collapsed in February of that year, though there were no reported injuries. Despite this August 2006 accident which resulted in amputation, a city engineer said that the large project has a good safety record – a claim that some might disagree with.

If you or a loved one has been injured on the job resulting in amputation of limbs, contact a personal injury attorney at Jim S. Adler & Associates for a free case review. We don’t believe that work sites with any major accidents can be considered “safe.” There are often a number of different reasons why accidents occur, though most usually they are connected with unsafe working conditions or procedures. Your employer is directly responsible for you safety, and may be liable for your medical bills, lost work, and pain and suffering. Call or click on the link below to submit your work-related amputation today for a free case review, and find out your rights.

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