Construction Site Accidents

One of the most dangerous professions in the world is construction. With so many different types of construction projects to consider, it’s a long list of people who put their lives at risk every single day to improve the world in which we live. From contractors to carpenters to mechanics to heavy equipment operators, the construction industry is one that is widespread and, unfortunately, almost always dangerous. Workplace injuries in the construction industry are among the most prevalent in the world, accounting for the highest number of workplace injuries of any other profession in accordance to information gathered by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Construction workers and even those innocently present during construction are injured on a daily basis for any number of reasons.  This partly contributes to the reason why workers compensation in the construction industry is so costly. Tom Schimmerling has been helping construction workers and innocent bystanders seek rightful compensation after being injured in a construction accident for over 20 years in the Binghamton area, seeking compensation that is owed to them to cover the cost of medical bills, rehabilitation and missed work as a result of workplace accidents on a construction job.

Injuries Associated with Construction Site Accidents

Anything can happen on a construction site. A board could break, a nail might not be seated properly, or someone may have left a tool in a place where they shouldn’t have. A machine might not be properly maintained or might simply malfunction. Construction site accidents run the gamut from minor to severe, and there is no telling what might happen on any given construction site at any given moment.

Bodily injury of any type might occur in the workplace, even if that injury is not visible. For example, a planned explosion at a workplace could damage the hearing of a construction worker whose boss did not provide him with the proper earplugs or headphones. This might not be a visible injury, but it can have a lasting effect on the hearing of that worker. Even death occurs at construction sites due to preventable accidents, and family members of the deceased have the right to seek compensation and damages caused by these accidents should they be to blame on someone other than their loved one.

Some construction site accidents are minor and not even worth a workman’s compensation case – think a construction worker who was accidently hit in the hand with a hammer that did no real damage other than hurt for a few moments. Other accidents are life-threatening and can even cause brain damage, paralysis and other issues so severe that the employee might not be able to work again in the future.

Most Common Construction Site Accidents

Unfortunately, the list of most common construction site accidents is lengthy. Construction sites are among the most dangerous locations in the world as construction workers rely heavily on manufactured equipment to keep them safe in some of the most hazardous conditions.

Any and all of the above are just a few of the most common workplace accidents associated with the construction industry. Your injury might not be listed here, but that does not mean that it is not a workplace accident associated with your duties at the work site. There are endless ways that a construction worker can become injured while at work, but these are simply the most common accidents reported by workers.

Your Rights After a Construction Site Accident

When you are injured in a construction site accident, you do have rights. These rights allow you to seek compensation that allows you to go on with your life. It is your right to seek the help of an experienced attorney who can help you determine whether the accident that caused your injuries is one that could have been avoided, is the fault of someone else or is your own fault. Once we can prove that the accident occurred through no fault of your own, we can seek damages to help ease the financial burden of your construction site injuries.

The Benefits of Workman’s Compensation

The most important thing to understand here is that you do not have to be the actual injured party to benefit from workman’s compensation. If your family member died as a result of a construction site accident, you are still eligible to seek compensation from this program to help you with the costs that may have mounted as a result of medical bills and other accident-related financial burdens.

Workman’s compensation was designed to offer those injured on the job benefits to help them proceed following an injury. This might mean seeking full coverage of all the medical costs your accident caused you to accumulate. This could also mean seeking compensation for wages lost as a result of your injuries and your inability to work, though typically this is only a partial wage compensation recovery. If you are newly disabled as a result of your accident, you might seek compensation for disability benefits. Additionally, workman’s comp offers death benefits to surviving family members.

Other benefits that workman’s comp might provide include everything from cash benefits to supplements to benefits that allow you to save on medications that you are now required to take as a result of your injuries. Workman’s compensation is a legal avenue that allows you to rightfully pursue monetary compensation for your troubles.

Third-Party Liability

Workman’s compensation in New York is a complicated business, and it’s made even more complicated by the fact that not all workman’s comp claims are valid due to extenuating circumstances. What this means is that a construction site accident might not always be the fault of your employer. It might sometimes be the fault of a third-party, such as the manufacturer of a tool or a piece of equipment being used on the scene. It might even be a direct result of another person on the job.

If someone other than your employer was responsible for the injuries you sustained in a construction site accident, you might also be able to go after third-party damages to help with the cost of your medical bills and loss of wages.

Damages Injured Parties Are Lawfully Right to Seek

If your injuries are the fault of a third party, you might be entitled to seek further compensation. This might include any of the following:

•   Past wages lost that are paid in full
•   Future lost wages paid in full
•   Emotional suffering from your accident
•   Physical pain from your accident
•   Therapy you need as a result of the accident
•   Health related costs associated with rehab and other necessary health care
•   Punitive damages

Tom Schimmerling and his legal team have ample experience seeking compensation from third-parties in construction site accidents. If you are owed anything from the accident in which you were involved, our legal team is here to help.

Safety Violations

One of the most common causes of construction site injury is the lack of proper safety gear. All employers know that they are required to provide the correct safety equipment for their construction workers, and failing to do so often results in dangerous injuries and even death. If your employer did not provide you with the proper safety equipment, failed to inspect the equipment for issues that might make it impossible to stay safe at work, or they simply did not encourage you to don the proper safety equipment, your employer could be liable for your accident.

Depending on what type of construction work you do, your employer is required to provide you with the correct equipment. This could be anything from earphones to earplugs to eye protection to hats, goggles, the correct boots and more. Failing to provide employees with the proper safety equipment is a safety violation that your employer then becomes responsible for.

Seeking Rightful Compensation

Tom Schimmerling has worked many construction site injury cases that have resulted in families of injured workers and injured workers themselves walking away without the stress and burden of mounting medical costs and future wages lost due to an inability to continue working. Our team is experienced when it comes to navigating the highly confusing, exceptionally detailed world of workman’s compensation in the state of New York.  Call Tom Schimmerling today or fill out the free case review form on this page to discuss your construction site injury and the compensation you rightfully deserve.