Workers’ compensation, also known as, workers’ comp, protect construction workers who are injured while on their worksite. Workers’ comp laws serve an important function to help injured construction workers get back to a sense of normalcy, which is important because construction sites are extremely dangerous. For example, a New Jersey construction worker was recently trapped in dirt and debris when a trench collapsed around him.

Clarkstown Police reported responding to the trench collapse earlier in the month in Rockland County. According to the Clarkstown Highway Department, the construction worker was excavating a trench during road construction when that trench collapsed, trapping the worker. Luckily, the injured construction worker was able to be removed by his co-workers. He was treated onsite by paramedics, and then transported to a nearby hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

While this worker was not seriously injured or killed, he will miss at least some work and incur medical expenses. This is why workers’ comp laws are so important because they will help this worker get his medical expenses covered and payment for his lost wages.

For construction workers, like the one involved in this trench collapse, workers’ compensation law ensures that injured workers receive needed medical care and compensation for their lost wages that result from workplace and on-the-job injuries. Unfortunately, the workers’ compensation system is not always easy to navigate and employers, who fear liability and litigation, are not always helpful navigating the system. This is why it is so important for construction workers to seek professional help.