According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), about one in five on-the-job fatalities were in the construction industry. This statistic shows just how dangerous it can be to work on a construction site. Even though construction workers are aware of the risks, that doesn’t mean they are out of luck if they are injured while on the job.
Construction workers who are injured as a result of negligence could be entitled to compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, future lost wages, and pain and suffering. To learn about your legal options, contact the Trial Lawyers for Justice today.
Causes of Construction Accidents
Construction sites can be dangerous, so there are a lot of ways a construction worker could injure himself while on the job. Here are some of the most common causes of construction accidents:
Falls
Construction workers frequently have to climb up ladders or work on the top of buildings. If you make one wrong move, you could easily fall and injure yourself. The severity of the injury will depend on the height of the fall.
Falling Objects
As a construction worker, you usually have people above and below you who are also hard at work on the project. If a worker above you drops a tool or other object, it could fall and hit you.
Defective Equipment
There are dozens of different tools and machinery present on a construction site. If any of these are defective or begin to malfunction, whoever is operating the tool or equipment at the time could be seriously injured. For example, if a nail gun begins to misfire, the operator could accidentally send a nail shooting through his skin.
Collapses
Construction workers often have to work out of trenches or in buildings that are being torn down or renovated. If a trench or building collapses with workers inside, serious injuries or even fatalities can occur.
Fires
Many construction workers will have to deal with electrical equipment or hazardous chemicals that are very flammable. If someone who is inexperienced with this type of work handles this equipment, a fire or explosion could occur as a result. These injuries are not as common as others, but still pose a great risk to construction workers.
Other Types of Accidents
On a construction site, a worker could be accidentally run over by heavy equipment, or even pinned between equipment and a wall. If you are forced to work in extreme weather conditions, you could suffer heat stroke, frost bite, or even hypothermia while on a construction site.
Who is Held Liable For Construction Accidents?
To determine liability, you will first need to figure out the cause of your accident. General and sub-contractors may be held liable if they did not warn workers of the potential hazards on the construction site. Contractors are also responsible for checking the work that is being done to ensure it meets quality standards. If these checks are not performed and someone is injured as a result, contractors and sub-contractors could be liable.
A construction company could be held liable if they fail to provide employees with the proper safety equipment or don’t properly train all workers who will be on the site.
Property owners could be held responsible if they were aware of a hazardous condition on the property but did not inform the other parties involved in construction. Engineers and architects who have designed the site could be held liable if it can be proven the plan was not safe. Manufacturers could also be held liable in cases where it can be proven the accident was caused by faulty or defective equipment.
Seeking Justice For Victims of Construction Accidents
A construction site accident can happen in a blink of an eye, but the injuries could drastically change a victim’s life forever. If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, don’t hesitate to seek legal assistance from an attorney at the Trial Lawyers for Justice. Call 866-854-5529 to schedule a free consultation today.