Illinois Worker Dies in Construction Accident

Chicago, IL (Law Firm Newswire) August 20, 2015 – An Illinois man died in a construction accident after being pinned between a lift and a beam.

Patrick C. Wilda of Plainfield was working in a lift at a construction site in Wilmington, Illinois, when he became pinned, Wilmington Police Chief Philip Arnold said. The lift had been extended to the roof beam, according to Arnold. Co-workers performed CPR until emergency services arrived. Wilda was pronounced dead at Presence Saint Joseph Medical Center, a Joliet hospital. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, Illinois State Police and Wilmington police are investigating the accident.

“A thorough investigation of this incident is necessary,” said Robert Briskman, a Chicago construction accident attorney with Briskman Briskman & Greenberg. “Far too many workers lose their lives in on-the-job accidents, and investigators often discover that proper safety procedures were not being followed.”

An autopsy was performed by the Will County coroner, who said that a cause of death would be determined after an investigation. According to a statement by the coroner, the accident took place on the 24000 block of Lorenzo Road in Wilmington. Wilda was employed by Area Erectors Inc.

According to news reports, Wilda was a local auto racer, getting his start in midget racing in the 1990s. In September 2013, he had a win at the Grundy County Speedway, and he finished the season as the runner-up in points. A statement on the Facebook page for Wilda Bros. Racing said that the family was overwhelmed by the outpouring of support after Wilda’s death, and that Wilda was a champion in his words and actions and a friend to all, in the racing community and beyond.