Construction sites can be dangerous places. According to the Occupational and Safety Health Administration (OSHA), 4779 private industry workers died on the job in 2018, and 1008 (21%) of those employees were construction workers, which means one in five on-the-job deaths that occurred in 2018 were caused by construction accidents.
It’s no secret that working with heavy machinery and in hazardous environments every day increases your probability of a workplace accident. Although there are state and federal laws, rules, and regulations in place to protect construction workers, some employers “cut corners” to save time and money. These poor choices put the lives of their employees at great risk.
The Javid Trial Firm handles all types of construction accident cases caused by the negligence or carelessness of an employer or company, including those that involve:
- Unsafe work environments
- Poorly maintained equipment
- Electrical shocks
- Scaffolding falls
- Slip and falls
- Burns
- Toxic chemical spills
- Explosions
- Crane accidents
- Falling materials
- Becoming caught in-between objects
- Machine malfunctions
Construction Accident Injuries
OSHA found that the leading cause of private-sector worker deaths in the construction industry were four specific types of construction accidents: falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and getting caught in or between (a category that encompasses construction workers who are killed when caught in or compressed by equipment or objects and struck, or who were caught or crushed in collapsing structures, equipment, or material).
These “Fatal Four" were responsible for more than half (58.6%) of the construction worker deaths in 2018 with falls totaling 33.5%, being struck by an object comprising 11.1%, electrocutions coming in at 8%, and getting caught in/in-between totaling 5.5%.
These numbers are not so surprising when one looks at the top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in fiscal year 2018 (October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2018):
- Fall protection, construction (29 CFR 1926.501)
- Hazard communication standard, general industry (29 CFR 1910.1200)
- Scaffolding, general requirements, construction (29 CFR 1926.451)
- Respiratory protection, general industry (29 CFR 1910.134)
- Control of hazardous energy (lockout/tag out), general industry (29 CFR 1910.147)
- Ladders, construction (29 CFR 1926.1053)
- Powered industrial trucks, general industry (29 CFR 1910.178)
- Fall Protection–Training Requirements (29 CFR 1926.503)
- Machinery and Machine Guarding, general requirements (29 CFR 1910.212)
- Eye and Face Protection (29 CFR 1926.102)
If you or a loved one were injured in a construction accident or on a construction site, contact The Javid Trial Firm today.
Construction Accident Results
Construction accidents often cause the most serious injuries. The lawyers at The Javid Trial Firm have had tremendous success in helping construction accident victims recover the financial compensation they deserve.
- $9 Million - Construction Accident
If you or a loved one suffered an injury in a construction accident or on a construction site, contact The Javid Trial Firm today.