Several people were injured on Tuesday when a temporary construction wall collapsed in the Boston suburb of Malden. The collapse, which occurred in front of a Japanese restaurant on Pleasant Street, trapped 5 people before dozens of witnesses lifted the wall, freeing the victims. A mother, her husband, and their toddler were among the victims. The mother received non-life threatening injuries. Fortunately, her son was not seriously hurt. Contact a Boston Injury Lawyer Today.
According to Malden police Capt. Glenn Cronin, the collapse was likely due to a strong gust of wind. Deepti and Sudhir Soni were trapped under the fallen wall with their 2-year-old son. The mother was taken to the hospital immediately following the incident. Sudhir Soni reported that his wife was diagnosed with a C1 spinal cord fracture. She will need to wear a collar until the injury heals. The family was walking on the Pleasant Street sidewalk when the plywood barrier collapsed. According to witnesses, the toddler’s stroller frame protected him from serious injury.
“I Wouldn’t Wish It On Anybody”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is currently assisting local authorities with the investigation. In addition to the family of three, two other women, Albertina Pierre and Maureen Finn, were also injured. Pierre’s son said his mother was crying. “She was like ‘Isaiah I could have died,’” he said. Finn also recounted the traumatic experience. “It was so heavy it was unbelievable, I wouldn’t wish it on anybody,” she said. “I had walked by it several times, I thought it would be light, but it just crushed all of us.” Paul Frazer, who was in a nearby jewelry store, was one of many witnesses who rushed out to help when the wall collapsed. “We didn’t know what happened so we just kind of ran out there and we saw some people underneath, we heard a baby crying, just tried to lift it up and get the people out from underneath,” he said.
You Just Never Know
Fortunately, nobody suffered life-threatening injuries in Tuesday’s incident. However, it serves as a good reminder that ‘freak accidents’ can happen at any time, in any place. Living in the city, most of us walk past temporary construction walls and scaffolding multiple times each day. While the vast majority of these structures are sound, exceptions do exist. In fact, a similar incident occurred last week when construction staging collapsed in the North End, injuring a worker. Always use caution when walking beside, or under, these types of temporary structures. Unfortunately, when they do fall or collapse, injuries are common and can be serious or even fatal. This year, multiple scaffolding and staging collapses resulted in fatalities in New York City, Houston, and Raleigh, N.C.
Altman & Altman, LLP – Boston’s Injury Law Firm
If you’ve been injured, we can help you sort through the details, get back on your feet, and obtain compensation for your losses. At Altman & Altman, LLP, we’ve been fighting for the rights of accident and Boston injury victims for nearly 50 years. If your injuries are due to another party’s negligence, you may be able to recover financial compensation for medical expenses, pain and suffering, and lost wages. Personal injury law can be quite complex, but your chances of success increase substantially with the help of a skilled injury lawyer. Accidents may fall under one or multiple categories, including premises liability, product liability, slip and fall, or failure to warn. Contact us today for a free consultation about your case.