Construction work is one of the most dangerous types of work in the U.S. According to EHS today, in the decade between 2002 and 2012 nearly 20% of all work related deaths happened on construction sites. Construction equipment typically requires that workers use their heads, arms, legs, hands, and feet to operate the equipment, which can cause serious injuries to those parts of the body. The 4 most common causes of contruction sitedeath or injury involve falling off of something, getting caught between things, being struck by moving objects, and electrocution.
The Occupational Safety & Health Administration requires that supervisors follow certain regulations that cover construction job sites. These regulations control how often equipment must be maintained, types of protective gear that must be provided to construction workers, and which types of safeguards must be in place for construction workers.
In many cases, management puts profit ahead of workers’ safety, encouraging employees to work too fast, or to neglect time consuming or costly safety precautions. Accidents often occur due to a failure on the part of the company to provide the necessary funding to follow OSHA regulations. Companies may refuse to invest the time or the money into properly ensuring workers’ safety. For many companies, it can be cheaper to risk injury to a worker than to implement certain safety standards.
Many workers are prohibited from suing their employers and may only be able to recover workers’ compensation. In other cases, workers can sue their employers, or may be able to sue third parties for their injuries. In a personal injury lawsuit, the injured construction worker can recover damages for medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
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