A construction worker was injured on the Bayonne Bridge prompting the swift closure of the bridge operations while investigators tried to determine what happened. The incident happened on a recent Tuesday afternoon, and although the bridge closure backed up traffic in both directions for some time, it was soon re-opened.
The 49-year-old construction worker suffered severe injuries in the accident, which happened on the lower bridge level. Emergency crews rushed the man to Richmond University Medical Center in West Brighton, where he received treatment for a leg injury. According to a witness from the scene of the incident, the man was conscious when emergency workers took him away, but he was probably in a state of shock due to the severity of his injury.
Further details pertaining to the man’s injuries are not known at this time. What we do know is that he was working on the “Raise the Roadway” project, which involves the dismantling of the lower bridge’s level. We also know that it was firefighters from FDNY’s Rescue 5 that tended to the accident scene.
Fortunately for this injured construction worker, in terms of paying for his medical care and receiving the best possible treatment available, assistance will likely be available through workers’ compensation. Indeed, nearly all New Jersey and New York hardhats are covered by workers’ compensation insurance.
If a construction worker suffers an on-the-job injury during the course and scope of his or her employment, he or she will usually have the right to receive workers’ compensation benefits to pay the doctor, the hospital, the ambulance, continued medical care and even lost wages and more.
Source: Staten Island Real-Time News, “Update: Bayonne Bridge re-opened after worker is hurt,” Maura Grunlund, Nov. 30, 2017