North Carolina man thanks first responders

The weight that rolled over a North Carolina man is the equivalent of six white rhinoceroses or, if you prefer, 5 Ford F-150s, one sperm whale or 10 Toyota Corollas. What actually rolled over him last summer was a 30,000-pound water truck.

In the work accident, bones were broken, his pelvis was crushed and internal organs suffered severe injuries.

But the 25-year-old survived the accident that took place about an hour and a half’s drive south of Charlotte in Columbia, South Carolina. First responders rushed him to a hospital where he spent a month undergoing major surgeries and more.

He recently returned to thank some of those who helped him survive those first few hours after the on-the-job accident: paramedics, firefighters, the flight team, nurses, doctors, blood donors and others.

He said that in the moments after the truck ran over him, he believed he was going to die. But as the flight crew loaded him on to the gurney, he began to think that he “just might survive after all.”

He said that recovery is an ongoing, difficult process but that every day he is grateful to be alive.

In cases of severe workplace injuries, many people play critical roles in helping a patient to survive. Later, when the surgeries have been successfully completed and the healing process has begun, another arduous undertaking begins: getting the insurance company to honor its obligations to the injured worker.

Experienced Charlotte workers compensation attorney can help injury victims fight for their rights and benefits.