Construction workers in Pennsylvania often leave the state to seek work to support their families. Being separated from their spouse and children can be painful, but the money is necessary.

Unfortunately, no construction zone in any state is completely free of the risk of a deadly accident occurring. In a tragic example, a 30-year-old construction worker died recently when he was hit by a heavy piece of equipment.

The victim was working on the third floor of a hotel. He was nearby as the construction crew used a machine called a Lull to put a piece of pre-fabricated wall into place. The Lull was using a forklift attachment to hoist the section of wall.

Somehow, the attachment fell off the Lull and landed on the victim. Other workers heard the impact and rushed over. They lifted the forklift attachment off of him and administered CPR. The man was rushed to the hospital, where he was declared dead about an hour later.

The victim was from Utah, but was working in Minnesota. According to a fundraising website started for his family, he is survived by his wife and four young children. The website describes the victim as a “kind-hearted, generous and genuine friend.”

As awful as this story is, most work injuries are not fatal. Suffering a work injury while out of state may complicate efforts to obtain medical records and other important pieces of evidence, to prepare for your workers’ compensation application. The help of an attorney, either with your initial application or with an appeal, could be valuable.