Michael Knotts Killed in a Worksite Accident at a Construction Site in Elkhart, Indiana

Elkhart, Ind. — A construction worker lost his life at a work site in Elkhart. The incident occurred at the Sunnyside Overpass project on Saturday.

According to reports, 31-year-old Michael Knotts of Rieth-Riley Construction sustained fatal injuries while assisting with equipment on-site.

Officials report that Knotts was guiding a pipe when the equipment unexpectedly disconnected, striking him. The coroner confirmed that he died from multiple blunt-force trauma injuries.

No additional details have been released.

Fatal work accidents must be investigated to determine what went wrong

Something went terribly wrong here. What caused the pipe to suddenly disconnect? We see these types of accidents happening over and over again. In fact, According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, being struck by objects or equipment is consistently one of the “Fatal Four” leading causes of workplace deaths in construction and a major cause across all industries. In recent years, approximately 700-800 workers per year have died from being struck by objects or equipment in the U.S., though not all of these are specifically from machinery.

While those in charge may be hesitant to share complete details about workplace accidents, families have the right to understand exactly what happened to their loved ones. Legal tools like depositions and professional investigations can help uncover the entire story behind such tragic accidents.

The family should know whether this tragedy could have been prevented through better site planning and safety measures. If there was a failure of any sort, the surviving family deserves to know and deserves accountability.

I hope Mr. Knott’s family receives the support they need to navigate their long road ahead.

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The Ammons Law Firm represents clients nationwide in personal injury and wrongful death litigation.

Disclaimer: This post is not legal advice. Information contained in this blog was compiled from third-party sources or is the opinion of the author. Please inform us immediately if false or misleading information is contained in this post.