Scaffolding Collapse at San Ysidro Port of Entry Leaves 11 Injured

On Wednesday, September 14th, eleven people were rushed to the hospital following the collapse of a 50 foot by 50 foot section of scaffolding at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.  This resulted in all northbound traffic from Mexico being shut down according to the Los Angeles Times.  Upon collapsing, the scaffolding trapped 15 vehicles; eight victims were able to escape their vehicles.

Emergency crews that responded to the accident assisted in extricating the remaining people trapped in their vehicles.  Of the eleven who were taken to nearby hospitals, only one was considered to be injured seriously.  Four of the eleven were construction site workers who were working at the Port when the accident scaffolding collapsed.

According to reports the scaffolding was a part of major expansion at the border crossing.  While investigations as to why the scaffolding collapsed are underway, it was not reported whether OSHA would be investigating the accident.  The San Ysidro Port of Entry is located in San Diego and is the nation’s busiest border crossing.  One day after the accident, 13 of the 24 northbound lanes reopened.  Every day, approximately 25,000 pedestrians and 50,000 vehicles enter the U.S. at the crossing.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the scaffolding collapsed around 10:45 in the morning on Wednesday, falling on to vehicles entering the United States at the massive border-crossing facility on East San Ysidro Boulevard.  Support beams and pieces of concrete were part of the debris that fell on vehicles during the collapse.  With an accident of this magnitude, it is a wonder that no one was killed and that there were not more serious injuries.

Construction workers are at a higher risk of accidents with injuries than workers in any other industry in the United States.  In this case, innocent bystanders were injured as well as construction workers.

If you or a loved one have been injured on a construction site, whether a worker or visitor to the site, contact the New York construction accident lawyers at Brown Chiari.  Brown Chiari Buffalo injury attorneys are able to help you determine what route to take to obtain the compensation you deserve.

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