Over 25 percent of all job related fatalities occur within the context of a construction environment, according to National Institute for Occupational Safety statistics. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has also recognized that 90 percent of construction injuries and fatalities fall under several categories.
1. Falls. Approximately 33 percent of all major work accidents involve falls. Since construction jobs often involve working on tall building structures, heavy machinery, rooftops and scaffolding – workers are more vulnerable to incurring serious injuries and death from falling.
2. Equipment and machinery injuries are very common on a construction site. Working with machinery is dangerous no matter where it’s done. However, it is even more dangerous on a construction site, due to the presence of so many other hazards.
For this work, the law requires that protection is always in place, for example, that sufficient guardrails and safety nets exist to protect workers from falling. However, it is not always possible to provide adequate safety features in all jobs and within the context of all kind of projects. One such example is vehicles with pronged devices carrying and lifting heavy loads.
Many people are under the assumption that the workers compensation claim is sufficient for an on the job injury of this type. However, in order for a worker to ensure that he or she is fully compensated for all costs associated with their injuries, it may be necessary for a lawsuit to be filed in the court system against negligent employers or other parties. In order to ensure that wages, medical bills and other costs are paid sufficiently, it is important to seek the advice of a forklift injury attorney as soon as possible for this type of accident.
3. It is estimated that Struck By Hazards are responsible for around 22 percent of construction accidents. These generally include flying and falling objects, vehicles and heavy equipment.
This type of accident has a 75 percent chance of being fatal. They usually involve working with trucks, backhoes, cranes and other types of heavy equipment. Workers for this type of injury are also susceptible when near power tools or cranes and under scaffolding. For example, a wall or building construction project can be particularly dangerous because of the heavy loads against insufficient structure strength.
4. Caught Between Hazards comprise around 18 percent of all construction injuries. These accidents involve any type of activity that has the potential to crush, suffocate or amputate a victim. This can occur anytime, but particularly while handling small machinery, trench caves, saws or when caught between any kind of equipment.
5. Electrical mishaps are estimated to be responsible for around 17 percent of construction related injuries. These can occur while grounding live wires when equipment fails or electrical wires and cords are too worn. It can also occur when the electrical current is not shut off properly.
Protection Systems
Since construction accidents have the potential to be more serious than other work related injuries, it is quite common that workers compensation claims will not cover expenses sufficiently. To make up for this deficiency, workers may have good reason to have a lawsuit filed. This is especially true whenever safeguards are not properly in place to protect them.
For example, when any type of negligence exists, such as inadequate job site inspections, there is definitely a reason to file a lawsuit against any negligent party. Anyone who has suffered from a construction related injury should seek the advice of legal counsel immediately. In this way, an injured worker can ensure that they receive the proper medical care and the compensation they need to recover as fully as possible.
Anthony Joseph is a freelance author who likes to write about different areas of the law, and is contributing this article to help promote on the job safety. Construction workers know just how dangerous working with forklifts can be. The Perecman law firm has attorneys with over 50 years of construction accident experience. They’re one of the most successful forklift injury attorney firms in the state of New York.