Falls account for one in three construction site accident deaths. However, not all accidents are so extreme that they result in death. For many people, their injuries include bruises, cuts, broken bones, and concussions. However, it doesn’t matter if the injury is minor or severe. If it impacts your ability to work, it affects your life and family. The lawyers at Goodin Abernathy understand that a construction injury can be a life-altering accident. They fight hard to secure their clients just compensation for their injuries.
Broken Bones
The most cited OSHA safety regulation violation is the lack of fall protection on construction sites. Completed buildings have several safety features in place to protect people from falling. Buildings that are in the construction process do not have these features installed yet. This and the very nature of working up high puts construction workers at a greater risk of falling. For example, from ladders, rooftops, scaffolding, or large machinery. When you fall from a tall height, your body is at risk of breaking bones and bruising upon impact.
Other common causes of broken bones are struck-by accidents or crush accidents. This is when the construction worker gets struck by or crushed by a vehicle, machinery, or equipment. Broken bones can take months to heal, then require many more months of rehab. In some situations, the victim may never fully regain the functionality of their broken limb.
Electrocution
Because construction sites are buildings in progress, they have an increased risk of electrocution. Exposed wiring and generators present a risk by exposing construction workers to electricity. Then there is the use of power tools and electrical equipment as an everyday part of the job. If these tools are not properly maintained, they can have an electrical short that injures the user. Finally, excavation and site trenching activities can result in a construction worker unknowingly hitting buried electrical wires. When someone experiences electrocution, they can experience nerve damage, respiratory problems, seizures, and brain damage. These injuries could be short-term or long-lasting, depending on the severity of the electrocution.
Knee and Ankle Injury
Construction sites are not easy places to walk. Building materials, equipment, and tools are strewn about. Then there is the uneven ground, holes, and trenches. Navigating this minefield of potential danger can sometimes result in a slip or trip and fall. When this happens, knee and ankle injuries also occur. Minor injuries may require the injured worker to stay off their foot for weeks or months. More serious injuries could require surgery.
Back Injury
Sometimes back injuries happen from falls, being struck by, or being caught in-between accidents. But they can also occur from over-exertion. Simply being required to carry or move equipment that is too heavy for you can cause a back injury. These injuries can debilitate a person, rendering them unable to sit or stand for extended periods of time. Recovery can require rest and physical therapy to heal and strengthen the back muscles.
Head and Brain Injury
There is a reason construction workers wear hard hats. Even a minor bump to the head can cause a head or brain injury. Head injuries are tricky; minor injuries rarely cause long-term problems. However, severe injuries can create extensive complications that are long-lasting. If a construction worker suffers a head injury, they should get checked by a doctor. The most common type of injury is a concussion. Recovery requires rest, which can keep you from work. In contrast, severe head injuries can impact speech, coordination, seizures, and cognitive thought. Effects can directly impact the victim’s ability to function and prevent them from going back to work.
Spinal Cord Injury
A spinal cord injury occurs when a sudden and traumatic blow to your spine causes your spinal bones to crush, compress, or dislocate. This movement of the bones damages the spinal cord located within them. Because your spinal cord is a tight bundle of nerves that acts as a central command center for your body, these injuries can have far-reaching effects. You could experience minor numbness or total paralysis. Injury to your spinal cord is permanent. This type of injury is life-altering and affects every part of a construction worker’s life.
Illness
Asbestos and lead were once commonly found in construction. These materials are harmful to the human body. Construction workers who work on an older building could be exposed to these hazards. However, they aren’t the only dangers that can cause illness. Construction workers exposed to toxins, chemicals, solvents, and pesticides are at risk of suffering illness. This type of injury is more challenging to prove liability for. Unlike physical injuries, illness does not always happen right away. Sometimes, it can take years for the illness to become known. If you worked in construction and suspect that your illness is a result, consider speaking with a personal injury attorney.
Loss of Limb
In some caught in-between accidents, a construction worker may lose a limb. This happens when the victim gets caught where they shouldn’t be. The limb gets caught, causing it to get crushed. Another common occurrence is the loss of a finger or toe. Fingers can easily get caught in the way of a sharp blade. Toes can become injured when heavy equipment or building supplies get dropped on the foot. Depending on the limb lost, this injury can prevent the construction worker from continuing to work in the construction industry.
Internal Organ Damage
Being caught between, crushing, and fall accidents can have a devastating impact on the human body. While external damages are readily assessed, internal organ damage can lead to potentially life-threatening complications. Surgery may be required to repair the injury and stop bleeding. It can then take months or over a year for the individual to heal. During this time, they may not be able to work.
Hire a Goodin Abernathy LLP Lawyer
The Goodin Abernathy LLP attorneys handle worker’s compensation and negligence claims for clients injured on construction sites. These two legal claims involve difficult issues in which the Goodin Abernathy attorneys are experienced taking to court and fighting for our clients’ recoveries. A “work comp” case involves making a claim against the worker’s employer for statutory benefit. These include medical treatment, lost wages and physical impairment.
A “negligence” claim is the second legal area that many attorneys are not as experienced in handling. In certain situations, an injured worker can make legal claims against general contractors, project supervisors, project owners or other services typically involved in a construction project. Especially in death, amputation or serious injuries, we need to make sure our clients exhaust their legal remedies and collect the damages they are entitled to under the law. That’s why we help our clients recover more money for damages through negligence cases compared to only going after a work comp claim. In serious injuries, amputations or death claims, call the Goodin Abernathy LLP attorneys right away. We care about our clients, their families and supporting them with first-rate representation.
Do not wait to seek treatment if you’ve experienced an injury while working on a construction site. Once you have a diagnosis and treatment plan, consider speaking with a lawyer. The team at Goodin Abernathy has experience representing injured construction workers. They fight for the compensation they deserve to ensure they have financial security.
Schedule a consultation to discuss your construction site injury with one of our attorneys.