Three construction workers are killed in an elevator accident at condo project in Austin

On June 10, 2009, three construction workers fell to their deaths in Austin, TX. The tragic construction accident occurred at on the work site of a condo project known as Twenty One Rio near the University of Texas. It is believed that the construction workers were on the 11th floor in a construction elevator, when the elevator collapsed causing the workers to fall some 120 feet. OSHA has launched a full investigation into the accident. 

Posted by: Austin Texas construction accident attorney Michael Grossman | Posted on: 6/12/2009 | Comments (1)

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Austin construction Accident Attorney Michael Grossman said:

I was shocked when I heard of this accident. I have practiced construction accident and wrongful death law in The State of Texas for 20 years now, and this is certainly one of the worst construction accidents I can recall in the history of Austin.

From a legal perspective, this case is certainly complex, not only due to the sheer number of victims (and family members who will be entitled to monetary compensation), but also due to the number of possible defendants. In most of the construction accidents I have won whereby a worker was injured or killed in a fall, the contractor certainly contributed to the accident by disregarding the legal duty they owed to the worker (in terms of providing a reasonably safe work environment), but in this case it appears that the subcontractor that installed the elevator, as well as the manufacturer of the elevator, may very well have also violated a legal duty owed to the three men who lost their lives.

Utilizing a temporary work elevator like the one in this accident, is a dangerous proposition that requires an extraordinary amount of care and attention to detail on behalf of those who install and maintain the device. It seems readily apparent that such care may not have been put into the installation of this equipment.

Once the initial heart ache subsides to a manageable degree, (it never really goes away) the families of these men will start demanding some answers. They will likely want to know how this happened, and they will want to make sure that measures are being taken to ensure that it never happens again.

Also worth mentioning, there are two distinct sets of laws that will determine the rights of the family members of these men. If the contractor subscribed to workers' compensation insurance, only the direct dependents of these workers would have a right to a wrongful death claim. That would mean that the parents, girlfriends, or siblings of these men would have no right take civil action. On the contrary, if the contractor did not subscribe to worker I hope the best for the families of these three construction workers' compensation insurance, more family members would be entitled to compensation for their loss.

For more information about the types of damages available in this type of case, see this page.

I wish the best for the families and friends of these workers. They have a long road ahead of them.

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