Personal Injury Law

Construction Safety - For road crews is being a flagman "the easy job"?

By Steve Lombardi

In Minnesota, the Carver County Attorney charged a 73-year old construction worker with failing to drive with due car and following too closely, both misdemeanors for traffic related offenses. In the accident a flagman was run over by a truck and killed.

The accident happened in May 2008. The flagman was directing a bulldozer across a roadway. The Ford Excursion driver struck the flagman who died at the scene.

Look at file #20070014 for meeting minutes in which LuAllen Kettner was present and compare with file #20070016 - Zumbro River Constructors.

Walking in a flagman's shoes for a day would be an interesting and exasperating experience. Sun up to sun down, 14 hour days with angry and unreasonable drivers create hazards from all sorts of angles. In this Lancaster, PA Electric road work site deals with just these kinds of drivers. Talking on cell phones drivers are distracted and easily get angered at the guy holding the flag. Many think it's an easy job, the easiest job on the road crew, but it's not. It's a difficult job requiring the professional demeanor of any law enforcement person.


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Full post as published by Des Moines Personal Injury Lawyer on January 23, 2009 (boomark / email).