LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The construction company rebuilding the Milton-Madison Bridge learns its punishment months after a worker died.
The Indiana Department of Labor issued two serious safety violations against Walsh Construction, fining the company $10,000. "It's like me going next door and buying a Coke. They've got so much money it doesn't faze them a bit," said Tim Cox, brother of Roger Cox, who died after an accident on the Milton Madison Bridge Project.
The Department of Labor says Walsh Construction failed to provide a safe workplace and failed to properly train the employee operating a lift on the Milton Madison Bridge Project. Operating that lift on April 30th was 50-year-old Roger Cox, who was found unconscious. "He was pinned between the top beam on the bridge 68 feet off the ground between the beam and the basket. Nobody knows how long he was out of oxygen," said Tim Cox.
He died days later after being taken off of life support. But now, Roger's family says they cannot get answers from anyone. "Roger was real proud about working on the bridge, but he did say something before to his wife about if anything happens to me, you make sure you go after them," said Rita McCauley, Cox's sister.
Because of the risky nature of his work, Roger had taken out an accidental death insurance policy to protect his wife and daughter. "She got the thing from Anthem saying they couldn't pay because they didn't have a police report to show it was an accidental death. And then she got the letters from worker's comp saying he died of natural causes because they're trying to say it's a heart attack."
But Jefferson County Deputy Coroner Rita Taylor says Cox died from a brain injury caused by a workplace accident. The Worker's Compensation Board of Indiana will look into any problems with money that should be owed.
OSHA is still investigating the death of another Walsh Construction worker who died in April while working on a project in Indianapolis, caught underneath a 40,000 pound excavator. "How do you make sure this doesn't happen to some other kid, or family man, or someone else's brother?" asked McCauley.
OSHA will have follow-up inspections with Walsh Construction. Walsh can contest the safety order. A spokeswoman for the Indiana Department of Labor says the penalties are not just blindly given. Rather, they are handed out through a formula that fits for different penalties.
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