Philly.com has reported that three workers were hospitalized on the morning of Monday, April 13th, when an electric cable was cut at a King of Prussia Mall construction site. All three men worked for the Omni Electrical Systems which is based in Collegeville.
One construction, 36, worker was listed in critical condition Paoli Hospital. The other two workers were treated for injuries that weren’t considered life threatening and precautionary.
According to police, the two men were inside a scissor jack lift cutting electric cables under the second floor of the mall when a live cable was cut just after 7:20 a.m. When the live wire was cut, the 13,000 volt, 200 amp cable electrocuted the workers. Reportedly, the 36-year-old was unresponsive when emergency personnel responded to the scene.
The King of Prussia mall construction is part of a major expansion plan last fall. The electrocuted construction workers were working in the area of that development which is located near the Macy’s store. In this case, it is unclear why the workers cut a live wire or what safety precautions were taken to prevent this tragic construction accident.
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Digging around electric lines and cutting electrical lines can be dangerous if proper precautions are not taken. When digging a construction company must always check first for underground wiring or cable. A line should never be cut before it is determined to be safe. Live lines create the potential for deadly and catastrophic injuries.
In Pennsylvania, all excavators must contact PA One Call at least 3 business days prior to excavation. This statewide support system will contact member utilities to come to the site and mark where the underground utilities are located and prevent you from finding them by accident.
In the case that a construction accident occurs, construction accident lawyer, Brent Wieand, will fight hard to hold negligent parties responsible for code violations and unsafe work conditions. Brent is familiar with construction laws and safety codes applicable to construction work-sites. He will work as your workers compensation lawyer in Philadelphia, PA to help construction accident victims get compensation for their injuries and other losses. This may including compensation for past and future pain and suffering, physical and emotional trauma, medical bills, earnings loss and loss of earnings capacity. For a free and confidential consultation, call Brent Wieand today at 1(888) 789-3161 or submit a description of the incident through the online claims form.
*Construction accident attorney, Brent Wieand, is headquartered in Philadelphia and practices throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
