Falls Are a Leading Cause of Construction Accident Injuries and Deaths
Construction workers often face dangers as part of their everyday jobs, due to the heavy materials and complex machinery they use. However, while injuries at a construction site can come from a variety of sources, the most common types of construction accidents involve a fall on a worker’s same level or to a lower level.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 991 fatalities from construction accidents in 2016, and 370 of these deaths were from falls. Fatal falls occur in a wide variety of situations, including from ladders, roofs, scaffolding, and stationary vehicles or equipment. These falls can happen for a variety of reasons, including faulty equipment, failure to follow safety procedures or use proper safety equipment, inadequate training, slippery or unstable surfaces, or unprotected holes or edges.
Workers’ Compensation for Construction Accidents
A worker who is injured while working is entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits. These include medical benefits that will cover the costs of medical care and ongoing rehabilitation, as well as disability benefits that address a worker’s lost income due to missed work and any impairment to their earning capacity.
If a worker is killed in a construction accident, their dependent family members are eligible to receive death benefits that cover the costs of lost income to the family, as well as funeral and burial expenses.
Third-Party Liability
In addition to workers’ compensation benefits, a person injured in a construction accident may be able to pursue compensation from any liable parties whose negligence was a contributing factor in the injury. For example, the manufacturer of a defective ladder may be held responsible for injuries caused by a fall from that ladder, or a subcontractor may be found liable for injuries which occurred after they did not follow proper safety procedures.
While workers’ comp benefits are limited to financial damages, a third-party liability case may involve additional damages, such as pain and suffering. If an injured party experienced a great deal of physical pain, or if they and their family suffered emotional hardship, they may be able to pursue compensation for this pain and suffering through a personal injury lawsuit.
Contact a Kane County Personal Injury Lawyer
If you have been injured in a fall while working at a construction site, or if your family member has been killed in a construction accident, the attorneys of Kinnally Flaherty Krentz Loran Hodge & Masur, P.C. can help you receive the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to, and we will work with you to determine whether you can pursue personal injury compensation. Contact an Aurora construction accident attorney at 630-907-0909 to arrange a free consultation.
Sources:
https://www.nsc.org/work-safety/safety-topics/slips-trips-falls
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/construction/infographics.html
https://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/falls/
