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PRACTICE AREAS
CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS
WE CAN HELP
Marrone Law Experienced Personal Injury Lawyers Represent Clients Injured On the Job and on the Construction Site
Construction Accidents and Injuries are not uncommon. According to the United States Department of Labor, one in five worker deaths in 2021 were for those who worked in the construction industry. Over a 10 year period, researchers from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries averaged the number of fatalities due to accidents or negligence at 963, while injuries averaged around 78,000. Of those instances, falls were the leading cause of construction-work related death (one in three).
Why Choose the Marrone Law Firm, LLC to Defend Your Worker Personal Safety Rights?
Marrone Law has years of experience litigating construction accidents and unsafe construction site claims. We take all construction accident claims seriously, and we will work with you and all participants to determine culpability, compensation, and future safety issues.
Since it’s often difficult to determine who’s at fault regarding a job site injury, Marrone Law has construction experts who can assess the situation surrounding your accident, including on-site evaluations by our expert team members and staff.
To get an idea of all that goes into construction accident evidence-gathering and litigation, you can explore OSHA’s reports on scaffolding falls, listed on the OSHA website. In the linked case, which took place in 2009, a “mast climbing platform…collapsed at a condominium project under construction in Austin, Texas.” In the report, you can see field observations, structural analysis, lab testing, and conclusions.
These are big jobs, but Marrone Law is an expert in the field, ready to help you receive the compensation for which you are entitled.
Construction injuries are one of Marrone Law’s specialties.
Construction Accidents
Injuries and fatalities on a construction site can be due to:
- Falls
- Accidents involving machinery
- Loose equipment
- Electrocution/electrical accidents
- Scaffolding collapse or accidents
- Structural collapse/instability
- Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs)
Worker Injuries from Falls
Falls are one of the most common causes of injury and death on construction sites. Whether the fall is from a dangerous height or through an exposed hole or unsafe perimeter, Marrone Law will assist you in determining if any safety regulations have been breached or unsafely implemented.
To prevent falls, OSHA lists three simple steps all construction companies should be following before and during any job:
- PLAN for safety
- PROVIDE correct equipment
- TRAIN everyone and detail safety measures
Machinery Accidents
These accidents can include injuries and disabilities suffered from the incorrect use, deployment, or safety regulations of light construction tools or heavy machinery. Heavy machinery mishaps can include crane accidents (due to poor rigging or worker negligence), forklift/tractor/backhoe misuse, mining machinery malfunction, and more.
Electrocution
Death or injury caused by exposed wires or improperly managed electrical currents is not as uncommon as you may think. In fact, electrocution remains one of the top causes of construction site related fatalities, one of OSHA’s Fatal Four.
If you or someone you know has been injured in an on- site electrical accident, contact Marrone Law today. We will work with you, your employer, and the state to determine who’s at fault.
The US Department of Labor’s most common causes of electrical accidents:
- Contact with power lines
- Lack of ground-fault protection
- Discontinuous, missing path to ground
- Incorrectly used or maintained equipment
- Improper use of extension or flexible cords
Scaffolding/Structural Integrity Collapse
OSHA’s accident search results for scaffolding collapses number in the hundreds.
Scaffolding is set up to allow the safe, unobstructed passage of pedestrians. Scaffolding and structural collapses can often injure not only workers, but bystanders, as well.
Repetitive Stress Injuries (RSIs)
At first glance, repetitive stress injuries may not appear to be in the same league as falls, collapses, electrocution, or accidents involving machinery. But RSI’s can permanently – and drastically – affect how you’re able to work and function.
If you’re experiencing pain from sprains and strains or musculoskeletal discomfort due to your work, you may be due compensation.
Frequently Asked Questions about Construction Accidents in Philadelphia
Who do I contact if I’ve been in a construction accident?
Seek medical treatment right away; let your employer know that you were involved in an accident and that you will be retaining an attorney; contact an attorney
Who’s at fault?
Initially, it may not be necessary or possible to determine the at-fault party(ies). If you are employed and your employer maintains workers compensation insurance (which is required in most employment situations involving construction), then you are entitled to benefits regardless of fault. Those benefits include payment for medical costs associated with the incident, as well as indemnification for lost wages that result from absences caused by the workplace injury. The question of fault may come up at a later date if a third party (not the employer) played a role in bringing about the injury.
How do I know if it was an accident or negligence?
The question can be misleading. Many (but not all) accidents are caused by negligence.
Negligence is a legal term which refers to a four-part analysis:
- Was there a duty owed to the person claiming negligence?
- Did someone breach one of the duties owed to the person claiming negligence?
- Did such breach(es) cause damages or harm to the person claiming negligence?
- What was the damage or harm suffered by the person making the claim?
The “accident” usually refers to the incident that happens because of the breach of duty.
What damages is my employer liable for?
Your employer is required to provide a safe workplace. If you are injured in a construction accident, your employer must provide compensation for your losses. If your employer maintains workers compensation insurance, then the type and amount of damages you can recover are limited by statute, but still include compensation for medical costs and lost wages.
If I file a lawsuit, what are the next steps?
A lawsuit may be required, regardless of whether you proceed under the workers’ compensation statute or through a common law negligence claim. The two proceedings are quite different from one another, but in both cases there will be a period of gathering evidence about your medical damages and lost wages. In a common law negligence claim, there is also investigation regarding fault and how the incident occurred.
Should I contact OSHA?
You should contact OSHA if there is a workplace incident involving serious injury or death. An OSHA investigation can provide invaluable information about how the incident occurred. OSHA also serves a vital purpose in keeping employers accountable so that future injuries do not occur.
Advice you can trust
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