Update: Millstadt construction accident

Back in March, two workers in downstate Millstadt died when a trench caved in on them.  It turned out the work site had previous citations for violating OSHA safety standards and that this accident, too, warranted investigation (the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran our letter about it).  Now, the family of one of the victims is filing a wrongful death lawsuit against the construction company for failing to take proper safety precautions.

Tragedies like this remind us why we need to do more to keep workers and pedestrians safe from dangerous construction sites.  House bill 2094 - the Construction Safety Act of 2008 - is designed to protect the rights of families involved in accidents like the one in Millstadt, which may have been preventable.  It includes broader safety standards for construction sites and would make it easier for innocent victims and their families to seek redress through the civil justice system.

Click here for more on why HB 2094 is so important.  Also, read the CJ&D report, Deadly Trade: Construction Safety in Illinois since the Repeal of the Structural Work Act.