Construction Explosion: Mysterious Email Contains Video of a Year-Old Construction Accident in San Jose
On Tuesday, County officials in Santa Clara County, California revealed a stunning video of a construction explosion from September of 2014. The video was sent to county officials anonymously via email. The construction accident depicts a worker climbing out of a tunnel when, suddenly, a large explosion occurs.
It appears to propel the worker from the tunnel, who then disappears in a flood of hot steam. Alarmed shouts of the workers can be heard as the camera swings around the worksite in the wake of the damage. This is where a fire and explosion lawyer can be of help.
What Happened In Santa Clara County?
This accident occurred on the watch of Turner Construction, a general contractor that Santa Clara County has been in conflict with recently over delays on a 168-bed building project. The delay has left them two years behind schedule and millions of dollars over budget.
The worker in the video is Joel Ferreria, who managed to escape the tunnel without being scalded, was pulled to safety by his colleagues. He had been working on a track of steam pipe at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center at the time of the incident. Shortly before the explosion, viewers can hear the popping noises associated with hot steam pressure build-up coming from the tunnel where Ferreria is emerging.
As a result of the construction explosion accident, Mr. Ferraria is receiving worker’s compensation and suffering from neck injuries as well as digestive and nerve distress.
What Was The County’s Role In This Incident?
The county claims it was never given safety reports following this incident. It also claims that Turner Construction has not yet finished the track of steam piping in question at this hospital worksite. California’s branch of the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has absolutely no record of the incident.
When contacted by ABC News, Turner gave a statement saying that wasn’t so. “When this incident happened in 2014, we conducted a complete (internal) investigation and provided the results to the county.”
The county has given Turner Construction a week to deliver a safety plan for its workers and a resolution to the scheduling lag. They also maintain that this video has bolstered their case for firing Turner Construction if they cannot comply.
The Law Offices of Michael Lamonsoff represents many victims of construction accidents that do not understand their legal rights to bring a civil action after they have been injured. Many assume that Worker’s Compensation, which many times pays them a fraction of their salaries, is their sole remedy.
However, because of many laws and statutes including the Labor Law that exist in New York, injured workers have the ability to seek a far more just compensation than what Worker’s Compensation minimally provides by bringing lawsuits against the owners of the worksite property where they are working. Our construction accident law firm is skilled at helping injured workers find all avenues of legal redress, including both Worker’s Compensation and civil lawsuits.
If you have been hurt at a construction site or involved in a construction explosion like the one in this video, call us immediately for a free consultation about your case. We are available 24-hours a day, 7 days a week at (212) 962-1020.