Serious accidents on a construction worksite are rarely just bad luck. They usually happen because owners and contractors fail to address specific, known dangers. Understanding these risks is the first critical step toward building your legal claim for compensation.
The “Fatal Four”
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) tracks the most common causes of worker fatalities in construction:
- Falls: Falls from elevated areas remain the leading cause of construction injuries and death. These are typically due to unsecured ladders, unstable scaffolding or unguarded floor openings.
- Struck-by incidents: Include injuries from falling objects, moving vehicles or swinging equipment.
- Electrocutions: Occur through contact with power lines, damaged cords or improperly grounded tools.
- Caught-in/between accidents: Happen when workers become trapped in machinery or crushed between materials.
If not fatal, these hazards can lead to severe injuries, such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, permanent loss of limb function and crushing fractures. Such injuries often require extensive medical care and significant time away from work to recover.
Other common site hazards
Construction sites contain many other hazards:
- Toxic substance exposure: Asbestos, lead, silica dust and chemicals damage lungs and organs.
- Noise hazards: Constant loud equipment causes permanent hearing damage.
- Equipment malfunctions: Defective tools and machinery lead to severe injuries.
- Trench collapses: Bury workers under thousands of soil pounds within seconds.
- Repetitive motion injuries: Develop gradually and often result in permanent disability.
Similar to the “Fatal Four,” these problems involve the general duty of a site owner to maintain a reasonably safe working area for everyone.
If your accident involved one of these hazards, you may have a valid case for negligence.
The path to compensation
New York’s strict labor laws allow you to pursue a claim against the negligent property owner or general contractor who failed to maintain a safe worksite. This type of personal injury claim can secure compensation beyond what workers’ compensation offers (if you are a worker injured on-the-job).
The financial payment that you may be entitled to can greatly help cover the medical expenses you incurred, work time you lost and pain and suffering you endured. It is essential to take action today to protect your future.