ETOWAH COUNTY, Ala. — An employee at the Extreme Car Wash on Pilgrims Rest Road in Southside was seriously injured Nov. 8 in a workplace accident.
Officials with the Southside Police Department said emergency personnel were dispatched to the carwash at about 9:10 a.m., after someone at the scene called 911 about a workplace injury.
The woman, who has not been identified by authorities, was airlifted to a hospital by Survival Flight for treatment, according to a local news report.
The police department said Southside Fire, Rainbow City Fire, A-med, and Survival Flight rendered aid to the victim. No additional information about how the accident occurred or the woman’s condition has been released by authorities.
COMMENTARY ON THE XTREME CAR WASH ACCIDENT IN SOUTHSIDE
I am concerned to learn of this woman’s on-the-job accident at the Extreme Car Wash in Southside, Ala. The news report indicates that she was airlifted to a hospital to receive treatment. Unless the injuries are life-threatening, airlifts are not the customary mode of transportation to the hospital.
Car wash accidents are not common. Generally speaking, working at a car wash is a pretty safe job. I have to wonder what might have gone wrong at this particular car wash for an employee to incur a serious injury. Did, perhaps, one of the vehicles being serviced inadvertently run over the employee inside the bay? I have known that to happen in a few cases.
Or was there an equipment malfunction? Did the employee somehow get caught up in one of the mechanical components of the conveyor belt? Was she pinned between one of the whirling washers and a vehicle? These kinds of mishaps have occurred in car washes before.
But, as I said before, serious car wash injuries are not frequent.
Details released by authorities are too minimal to draw any conclusions. A thorough investigation will need to be conducted to determine whether any negligence was involved in this accident. If negligence is involved, either on the part of a driver or on the part of the business owner, the employee may be entitled to legal remedies.
During my career as a personal injury attorney, I have represented many individuals who have been seriously injured in unfortunate workplace accidents. I have found that these accidents are often preventable. With proper training, safety measures, and tools and equipment in proper working order, accidents are much less frequent. As a concerned citizen, I will continue to raise questions and do whatever I can to increase awareness of the need for better safety measures in our nation’s workplaces.
All of the information contained within this post was compiled from public sources or constitutes the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if you identify any false or misleading information.
