The plant, where he was working at the time of his injury, manufacturers, among other things, aviation components.

The road conditions triggered a major pile-up which in the end would claim at least 87 vehicles, including cars and semi trucks. Sheriff’s deputies from Hamilton County, Ohio said that the genisis of the collisions was the icy roadway which caused vehicles to begin spinning and hitting one another. This was coupled with the near blinding visibility from the snow. First responders from at least 12 local communities were dispatched for several hours to attend to motorists and free some of the passengers and drivers from the badly damaged vehicles.

While accidents like those in Ohio are known to occur, as Indiana Car Accident Lawyers, we see these incident far more frequently in the winter months as road and visibility conditions change quickly. If at all possible, travel should be avoided in these situations. If, however, you find yourself in the middle of a multi-vehicle accident, you should avoid leaving your vehicle at all costs. Your vehicle is the safest place until first responders can attend to you or other victims

On November 6, 2009, Governor Mitch Daniels signed Executive Order 09-08 for creation of the Indiana State Trauma Care Committee.
Click HERE for a link to the full text of the order.

As discussed in the Order’s preamble, there are several factors which lead to this committee’s development. They include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Injury is the leading cause of death for citizens from 1 year to 34 years of age in the State of Indiana and in the United States. More than 95,000 Indiana citizens are hospitalized and over 5,000 citizens die from injuries each year.

• Indiana injuries defined as trauma require rapid evaluation and transport to specific hospitals with trauma care capabilities, staffed and equipped to provide the comprehensive care needed.  All hospital emergency departments are not trauma centers.

• A trauma system is an organized, coordinated effort in a geographic area that delivers the full range of care to all injured patients.  Until March 2006, Indiana was one of a very few states with no laws or regulations providing legal authority for state oversight of trauma care, a necessary element of a trauma system. Indiana Public Law 155 – 2006 now provides authority for the Indiana State Department of Health to be the lead state agency for an Indiana trauma care system.

• States with trauma systems have a review process to designate hospitals according to the level of care that can be provided to injured patients – ranging from emergency department evaluation and stabilization in smaller hospitals to the most comprehensive levels of care provided in hospitals verified by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma (ACS-COT).

• Indiana now has 8 hospitals that are Level I or Level II trauma centers as verified through a strenuous review process by  the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma. These facilities include:

Indianapolis –Wishard, Methodist, Riley Hospitals (Level I)
Fort Wayne – Parkview and Lutheran Hospitals (Level II)
South Bend – Memorial Hospital (Level II)
Evansville – St. Mary’s and Deaconess Hospitals (Level II)

• Indiana trauma system development is being addressed by an Indiana State Department of Health (ISDH) Trauma System Advisory Task Force, organized in May 2004.  The Task Force has broad representation from numerous organizations and individuals interested in developing a statewide trauma care system.

Organizations and individuals that make up the task force include:

-        Indiana State Health Department
-        Indiana Rural Health Association
-        Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance
-        Indiana Emergency Nurses’ Association
-        Indiana American College of Emergency Physicians
-        Indiana American College of Surgeons – Committee on Trauma
-        Indiana Hospital Association
-        Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Fire and Emergency Medical Services
-        Indiana Trauma Network
-        Trauma surgeons, emergency physicians, registered nurses, paramedics,
state legislators, hospital administrators, rehabilitation specialists, and others.
Issues being considered by the Task Force include:
-        leadership of a statewide trauma system
-        policies, legislation and financing needed for such a system
-        system design, based on data and needs assessments
-        education of policy-makers, health professionals and the public
-        information management and quality of care indicators
-        collaboration and resources to support a statewide system
-        development and maintenance of a state trauma registry
-        standards and procedures for trauma care level designation of hospitals.

Task Force Efforts:
-        The goal of a statewide trauma system is the prevention of injuries and the coordination of care of injured patients to accomplish decreased death and disabilities due to trauma.
-        It is desirable for all Indiana hospitals to eventually be part of a statewide trauma system, based on the level of care each hospital is able to provide.
-        System participation by hospitals would be voluntary.
-        Collaboration between emergency medical services, hospitals, rehabilitation facilities and public health is needed.
-        A statewide trauma registry is necessary because it provides a proven mechanism to examine trauma patient care data on a confidential basis.
-        Widespread education is needed to inform numerous constituencies (legislators, hospitals, the public) about a statewide trauma system.

Indiana State Police reported that Anderson was one of two construction workers that were helping an excavator driver guide the barriers near a ramp on Allisonville and westbound I-465 in Northeast Indianapolis. Police believe the operator of the 2010 Caterpillar excavator simply lost track of where Anderson was standing when he moved the vehicle around crushing Anderson against one of the barriers he was guiding.

Investigators are intending to complete an accident reconstruction in an attempt to piece together what exactly occurred and what lead to yet another accidental construction accident. State Police report that Anderson was working for Walsh Construction Company of Crown Point, Indiana, at the time he was killed.

Indiana State Police investigators were joined by investigators from the Indiana Occupational Health and Safety Administration (IOSHA) in an attempt to determine if there were any violations or safety issues.

Unfortunately, fear also sets in on occasion where employers try to fight injured workers from making a claim. An employer can either provide assistance to their injured Indiana worker or be an obstacle moving forward. This is particularly important at the inception of the case when it is essential that an employee be provided all necessary information to start their claim and get their first medical care underway. The more information both the employee and employer have at the outset will make both of their jobs easier. The first thing both an employee and employer need to know is that when an injury is reported, a First Report of Injury must be filed by the employer. This is required by Indiana’s Workers’ Compensation law. For most employers, this simply means contacting their insurance company and advising them of whatever facts they know regarding the claim of injury. A first report of injury does not mean the employer is consenting to the facts reported to them or consenting the fact that the claim is commensurable under Indiana’s Work Comp laws.

If an employee has a question as to whether an injury or event should be reported to their employer or the insurance company, they should always err on the side of caution. As experienced Indiana Work Comp Lawyers, Crossen Kooi’s attorneys have seen small injuries that went unreported blow up in to substantial injuries. Failing to report the injury or claim initially will only make the task of proving that the injury is related to your job more difficult down the road. This is particularly true if the injury is of the nagging or consistent type (such as back injuries and muscle strains). Another consideration is that prior injuries can make employees more apt incur additional injuries or an exacerbation of your injury. If you have question or concerns about your work injury or Indiana Work Comp claim, please don’t hesitate to contact our attorneys for a free consultation.

Requirement of Work Comp Coverage or Insurance

Workers’ compensation coverage or insurance is mandatory in Indiana. The distinction basically comes down to who provides the coverage. If an employer pays for a work comp insurance policy then they have workers’ compensation insurance coverage; thus, the insurance company or their third-party administrator will handle your claim. There are some employers, however, whom are large enough to be self insured. This basically means, they have the financial resources to cover their employees’ comp claims. In order to qualify for such coverage, self-insured employers must first file an affidavit of financial compliance with the Board and establish they have the financial assets to provide for such claims. While there are some exceptions to the mandatory work comp coverage in Indiana (such as farmhands, firemen, etc.) most employers in Indiana must provide employees with this benefit.

Generally speaking, workers’ comp coverage kicks in when an employee becomes temporarily totally disabled (TTD). Per the definition from the United States Department of Labor, this is defined as “a situation in which the individual is incapacitated to perform his or her regular work because of an anatomical or functional abnormality or loss, but where it is expected that recovery merely awaits a normal healing period.” In order to qualify for Workers’ Compensation benefits, however, Indiana Work Comp laws mandate a waiting period for injured employees before they may start receiving benefits. This waiting period is basically 7 days. Thus, if an employee becomes temporarily disabled, they must wait a period of at least seven days from the date of injury before TTD payments (2/3 of their average weekly wage — non-taxable) kicks in. As a general rule, if an employee’s injury does persist beyond the waiting period, they may not receive any Indiana Workers’ Compensation benefits.

Russell was pronounced dead on the scene, but Bays was taken by ambulance to St. Vincent Hospital Northeast in Noblesville, Indiana, with complaints of leg pain.

Ten more students were injured in the bus accident, with two boys suffering from critical injuries. Four people had to be extricated from the bus. The two boys remaining in critical condition were transferred to Riley Children’s Hospital.

After officials were able to contact the decedent’s family, the driver’s, Spencer, family released a statement noting , “He was a good man who cared about the kids he drove and was committed to getting them to school safely.”

The uninjured students on the bus at the time of the crash were were placed in another bus and taken to school, which was only a few short blocks from the scene of the bus crash. Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter School dismissed classes early, and asked parents to come to the school to get their children. In doing so, Principal Kelli Marshall and Principal Ryan Gall released the following statement:

“Indianapolis Lighthouse Charter School is deeply saddened by the injuries and loss of life that occurred this morning during a tragic school bus accident. As the safety of our students is the primary concern at Lighthouse, this tragedy has hit our school hard. We share the pain felt by so many and grieve with the families of the students and bus driver involved.”

According to reports, the bus was owned and operated by Miller Transportation. Miller operated as a private entity under contract with Lighthouse Charter to provide bus service for students.

Indiana Workers’ Compensation laws differ greatly than those statutes that guide typical civil claims. Should you be injured in the course of your employment, it is imperative that you consult with an Indiana Work Comp Lawyer. As full-service injury firm, the lawyers of Crossen Kooi are well versed in the details important to the Indiana Workers’ Compensation system. Our Work Comp Attorneys will evaluate your claim immediately, at no charge to you and ensure that you are opening all of the windows to full recovery. As always, our work injury lawyers will evaluate your claim at no charge to you unless we are able to obtain recovery. You will never be charged an initial consultation fee or will you ever have to pay for fees or expenses until your claim is resolved. If you’d like to speak to one of our work comp injury lawyers, please call us at 866-569-1335 or contact us.