Local News
A Gwinnett County Cell Tower worker was injured in a partial fall from a Norcross Parkway cell tower Monday evening, June 9, 2014.
According to the Gwinnett Daily Post, the cell tower employee was working approximately 125 feet above ground when he lost his grip, falling 15-20 feet before his cable grab system stopped the fall. The employee struck the tower as he fell, knocking him unconscious. Once the cell tower worker regained consciousness he was able to lower himself to an elevated platform on the tower. His crew called 911 shortly before 10:00pm Monday.
A fire department technical rescue team scaled 100 feet to rescue the injured worker after attempts to reach him with a ladder truck were unsuccessful. He was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center for non-life threatening injuries, including an injury to his shoulder.
Our Legal Take
The harrowing fall illuminates the danger cell tower maintenance crews face on a daily basis for our convenience. Aside from the obvious risks associated with working at hundreds of feet in the air, the towers themselves are typically made of jagged, sharp metal with little grip on handles and steps, leaving workers particularly vulnerable in wet and windy conditions. Thankfully, the victim in this incident escaped with non-life threatening injuries.
Given the employee was working at the time of his injury, he and his family are almost certainly entitled to substantial workers compensation benefits per Georgia law. Additional claims may also be filed with the cell tower owner, should a lack of safety features or malfunction in the structure itself have contributed to the fall. Such a claim would urge cell tower owners to consider the safety of maintenance crews when designing these structures.
It is crucial the employee injured in this accident retain an experienced workers’ compensation attorney without delay. Insurance companies and employers are, all too often, more concerned with returning employees to work quickly and limiting financial exposure than protecting the needs of victims and their families. As such, failure to quickly secure an attorney to negotiate these complex claims may significantly compromise the value of a case.
The Murray Law Firm has extensive experience in protecting victims of work accidents, such as this, and we offer our legal expertise, if needed. Anyone seeking further information is encouraged to contact us at 404.842.1600.