Construction sites are inherently dangerous places. However, employers have a duty to ensure you have a safe working environment. If your employer fails in this responsibility, and you suffer any type of injury, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. An experienced attorney can explain your legal options and help you seek the justice you deserve.
Types of Construction Accidents
Construction professionals deal with a number of potential hazards every day. It is crucial for construction companies to practice due diligence to protect workers’ safety and prevent injuries. Common construction accidents include:
- Trench collapses: Trenches are often used in construction sites to work with utilities, conduits, foundations, and other elements. Workers can be buried when trenches are not adequately restrained.
- Slip and fall: While no job is immune to the threat of slip and fall injuries, these accidents occur frequently on construction sites.
- Motor vehicle accidents: Vehicles are prevalent on construction sites to assist with a number of tasks, such as transporting equipment, hauling materials, and heavy lifting. This results in a number of vehicular-related injuries.
- Caught-in/between: Enormous steel plates and heavy machinery are essential to construction projects. The risk of being crushed between these materials is high when safety precautions are inadequate.
- Electrocutions: Construction workers operate in close proximity of power lines, exposed wires, and water pools capable of carrying electrical current. The potential for electrocution is high when safety measures aren’t followed.
- Struck by an object: Construction workers frequently perform their duties beneath equipment and other workers. Falling tools, machinery, and other materials commonly result in worker-injury.
- Falls from heights: Whether on rooftops, scaffolding, or ladders, many construction workers spend their shifts high off the ground. When proper safety precautions are not met, injuries from falling can occur.
Defective Products on Construction Sites
Construction sites require multiple components to simultaneously work properly. Faulty machines, tools, and other defective equipment can lead to serious workplace injuries. Examples of defective products on construction sites include:
- Fuel and chemical leaks
- Saw blade malfunctions
- Unsafe designs for bulldozers, forklifts, trucks, and other equipment
- Crane collapses
- Poor electrical wire insulation
- Safety harness failure
Common Construction Accident Injuries
Any type of construction accident can lead to a variety of potential injuries, including:
- Paralysis
- Amputation
- Disfigurement
- Spinal cord injuries
- Severe burns
- Brain injuries
- Suffocation
- Death
Potential Compensation In a Construction Accident Claim
Depending on the details of your construction accident, you may be able to pursue damages for:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Lost earning capacity
- Pain and suffering
- Physical, emotional, and occupational therapy
Third-Party Construction Accidents
If you’ve been hurt in a construction accident, you do not necessarily have to settle for whatever worker’s compensation benefits you are offered. It is important to meet with an attorney to discuss your case and explore all of your legal options.
Depending on the circumstances surrounding your injury, you may still be able to pursue action against a negligent third-party while receiving workers’ compensation benefits from your employer. This is a common and successful strategy to maximize compensation after a construction accident.
Examples of third parties whose negligence may have played a role in your injury can include:
- Property owners
- General contractors
- Manufacturers of defective equipment and companies that perform related maintenance
- Manufacturers and providers of concrete forms and shores
- Manufacturers and providers of scaffolding
- Employers of negligent workers who caused a workplace accident
Find Out If You Have a Case
If you have been hurt on a construction site, the clock may be already ticking on your case. An experienced attorney can discuss the merits of your claim, explain all of your legal options, and seek the maximum compensation to which you are entitled.
