It’s widely acknowledged that the construction industry is one of the most dangerous fields for employees. With numerous parties involved in hazardous tasks at multiple levels of the project, there is an unlimited number of things that can go wrong. This also means that there is high risk for a worker to be injured or even killed while performing job duties. It’s estimated that on average, about 15 workers lose their lives in construction accidents every day.
If you have been injured or lost someone you love in a construction accident, we invite you to contact a Lewisburg construction accident lawyer from Stapp Law, LLC. We know that construction work is a vital part of the fabric of our community in Lewisburg, PA, and Union County. It’s our job to help make sure that our construction site employees in central Pennsylvania are provided the safest conditions possible. When that doesn’t happen, legal action is often the best way to right a wrong and fight for justice.
A Lewisburg construction accident attorney from our firm will be able to sit down with you and your family and discuss what legal options may be available in your situation. An initial consultation is always provided at no cost to you.
What Are the Most Common Construction Site Accidents?
There’s no question that construction is a dangerous industry. General contractors, site owners, and those responsible for the management of a work site have a duty to maintain the safest possible conditions for workers, as well as to comply with legal regulations. Many construction site employees are familiar with OSHA regulations, but how do you know if all of them are being followed on the site where you work? Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) guidelines aim to hold companies and organizations to the highest standards of safety. When the safety regulations defined by OSHA are violated, employees are at risk.
In a field with high rates of accident and injury, like the construction industry, employees undertake dangerous tasks every day. Despite the importance of optimum safety on construction sites, companies do not always create conditions that are safest for workers. The most frequently violated OSHA safety standards in 2020 were:
- Failure to protect workers from falls
- Lack of communication about the hazards of dangerous chemicals
- Failure to protect from respiratory illness
- Unsafe scaffolding
- Issues with ladder safety
- Hazardous energy (electrical, mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic, chemical, thermal, or other)
- Industrial truck hazards
- Inadequate fall protection training
- Improper eye and face protection
- Exposed moving machine parts due to improper machine guarding
There are other issues that commonly arise on construction sites and lead to safety problems, such as worker overexertion and overheating, or defective machinery or vehicle parts. All of these safety violations lead to many kinds of accidents and injuries. But the most common are what are known as the “Fatal Four”—the top four leading causes of death in the construction industry as identified by OSHA. These four types of deadly accidents are:
- Falls
- Struck-By Accidents
- Caught-In/Between Accidents
- Electrocutions
Employees on a construction site have the legal right to a safe working environment. They are also legally required to have adequate training, protective equipment, and a means of escape in case something goes wrong. When workers are not provided with the conditions and tools necessary to perform their job duties safely, injuries suffered commonly include:
- Burns, including electrical and chemical burns
- Broken bones
- Loss of limbs and digits
- Crushing and internal organ damage
- Cuts, lacerations, and puncture wounds
- Eye injuries and loss of vision
- Loss of hearing
- Spinal cord injuries and paralysis
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Respiratory diseases
- Heat stress resulting in organ failure
- Hypothermia and frostbite
- Dehydration
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Illnesses due to toxic chemical exposure
- Injuries resulting in permanent disfigurement or disability
- Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
- Wrongful death
What Are My Legal Options After a Construction Site Accident?
If you have been injured or lost a loved one in a construction accident, you need to know how this devastating accident happened. A construction accident lawyer works to determine exactly what caused the accident, what party may be liable, what losses the victim suffered, and what damages may be recovered by the injured party. We also strive to hold negligent parties accountable and make sure that the injury will not happen to a coworker or other employee in a similar situation.
If you were hurt while working on a construction site, your damages may include medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and even permanent disability. Your Lewisburg construction accident lawyer from Stapp Law, LLC will work closely with you to make sure that the best legal action is taken based on your specific situation.
In some situations, the best course of action is to file a workers’ compensation claim. This does not require that you prove negligence, and your attorney can help ensure that all proper protocol is observed so you are adequately compensated. But if a careless or wrongful act resulted in your injury, it may be in your best interest to file a personal injury claim and hold that party accountable. Sometimes, a third party is liable, such as when a defective part malfunctions and causes an injury. In this case, you may be entitled to file a product liability claim against a negligent manufacturer.
If your family lost someone in a construction site accident, we provide legal advocacy when you are considering filing a wrongful death claim. If negligence or the wrongful actions of another party led to the accident that resulted in your loved one’s death, the state of Pennsylvania provides legal means for your family to seek compensation on their behalf. Financial recovery is often very important to families who are suddenly burdened with expensive hospital and medical bills and funeral and burial costs—in addition to the emotional trauma of losing a loved one in a tragic and preventable accident. This financial burden can be even more difficult to bear when the income that your loved one provided is no longer there to support the family.
It’s situations like these when we, as Lewisburg construction accident lawyers, fight our hardest to make sure families in Union County obtain the justice they deserve. If you are facing difficulty after an injury sustained on a construction site, it can be a relief to know that there is a legal system in place to protect you and defend your rights. We welcome you to reach out to Stapp Law, LLC to schedule a free consultation about how we may be able to help you and your family toward recovery.
