Common Construction Site Accidents
The Chicagoland area, like most metropolitan areas in the United States, utilizes highly skilled and trained construction workers to build, repair and maintain its buildings, utilities, roads and other infrastructure. Unfortunately, even highly skilled and trained workers cannot escape the
reality that construction projects will inevitably lead to workplace injuries – some deadly.
According to the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (“OSHA”), nearly 20% of all workplace fatalities occur in the construction industry.
But what are the most common accidents that occur on construction sites? According to OSHA, the four main types of accidents on construction sites that lead to workplace injuries are:
a. falls
b. being struck by an object
c. electrical shock (including electrocution)
d. being crushed, compressed by or caught in a machine
Most construction accidents are the result of a lack of training, a lack of supervision, the absence of proper equipment or a combination of these and other factors. Of all construction accidents, falls account for nearly 40% of construction site deaths. Notably, most construction site falls can be avoided by using harnesses, utilizing safe ladders in a proper manner, wearing protective gear and, most significantly, training to recognize unsafe work practices. Construction lawsuits differ from many other injury claims due to the use of specialized evidence that includes safety regulations and industry customs and practices. Construction claims are made ever more complex by contractual legal issues stemming from general contracts and
subcontracts that can impact an injured worker’s ability to prove liability and obtain a fair recovery. Injured workers must have an attorney not only experienced in workplace accidents, but the legal issues surrounding safety regulations, contractual law and the construction industry as a whole in order to ensure a maximum and fair recovery. The attorneys at Feagans Law Group have the experience necessary to fight for the rights of construction injury victims.
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