A construction worker died Friday, August 3, a little over a week after being severely injured in a building demolition accident at a work site in Miami Beach. The victim was a 46-year-old man.
According to a report filed about the incident, the 13-story building being demolished collapsed “in an unsafe manner,” with smoke and debris from the charge blanketing the adjacent Collins Avenue. Because of all the debris that flooded the surrounding area on that particular block of Collins Avenue, police were forced to shut down several blocks of nearby streets until the debris dissipated.
Witnesses to the incident say a piece of debris hit the victim below the chest, propelling him several feet across the street. The piece of debris hit his leg, and then another, larger chunk of concrete flew across the road and struck him. Responders were able to resuscitate him, and he was taken by Miami Beach Fire Rescue to Jackson Memorial Hospital’s Ryder Trauma Center in critical condition. He unfortunately succumbed to his injuries just over a week later.
Questions of liability
Although the building did have a demolition permit, it did not have an implosion permit, which grants permission to destroy a building in a charge that would send it crashing down all at once.
This would certainly be of interest in any wrongful death case that would be filed on behalf of the victim by his estate. Any company performing demolition or construction work is required to pull all the proper permits as one way of ensuring the safety of the job being completed.
For further guidance on how to proceed with a personal injury claim if you’ve been hurt in a workplace accident, speak with a skilled Bradenton construction accident attorney at Goldman, Babboni, Fernandez, Murphy & Walsh.