Construction workers in Georgia know that their jobs are dangerous. Cuts and bruises and wounds from equipment are all too common, yet might not be reported because the workers often can't afford to miss work. However, a recent construction accident in which a worker escaped serious injury despite an awful wound was too dramatic to keep quiet.

The victim, a 45-year-old man, was installing floor trusses last week at a construction site for a new home being built in North Dakota. He was in the basement and realized that he needed a nail gun, so he asked a fellow worker above him to pass one to him. As he reached up to grab it, he heard it go off and immediately felt pressure in his head.

The other worker realized that the man had been shot in the head by the nail gun with a nail more than three inches long. The nail had penetrated the right frontal lobe of his brain. However, the man felt no pain and declined painkillers. His doctor in North Dakota didn't want to perform the risky surgery to remove the nail, so the man was sent to a hospital in Minnesota more than 400 miles away. It was a success, and while the man has some trouble moving one of his feet, otherwise he seems to be OK.

While the man seems to have avoided disaster, he would be wise to consult with an experienced workers' compensation attorney to determine what kind of benefits might be available to him.

Source: Saint Paul Pioneer Press, "St. Paul neurosurgeons remove 3-inch nail from N.D. construction worker's head," Tad Vezner, Feb. 7, 2012