Every year, construction workers are seriously injured or killed on construction sites. Some of those injuries may include broken bones, paralysis, head trauma, loss of limbs, neck trauma, internal bleeding, and permanent disfigurement. Construction companies and workers are aware of the dangerous conditions present at some construction sites. However, employers sometimes fail to bring their equipment up to code, and Cranes, forklifts, and dump trucks have the capacity to cause severe injury and even death.
Construction workers are run over by heavy operating equipment such as forklifts, dump trucks, and front-end loaders because of the negligence and carelessness of the equipment operator, malfunctioning equipment, or inadequate supervision on construction sites. The U.S. Dept. of Labor Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA) has established many regulations to try and decrease the number of workers injured or killed by operating equipment. But owners and construction companies sometimes fail to follow safety rules and regulations. Responsibility for the accident may belong to the owner of the heavy equipment, the operator, the construction site owner, the general contractor, subcontractors, or other parties. To prevent these types of incidents, contractors using heavy moving equipment must adequately train the operators of the equipment and must also stress the importance of obeying all safety rules. They must ensure that warning alarms, backup lights, mirrors, and backup cameras are operating at all times.
Injuries that occur on construction sites require a full and complete investigation. Many documents are generated such as incident or accident reports, OSHA investigatory reports, and Workers’ Compensation reports. There may also be video and photographs of the incident and the environment where the incident occurred. There are also equipment maintenance and inspection records as well as medical and police reports. The families of workers who have died and workers who have suffered serious and life-threatening injuries are often entitled to compensation for the physical injuries and emotional harm they experienced, as well as economic damages for loss of wages and benefits.
The most important thing to do after any construction site accident is to contact an experienced New York construction accident lawyer who is skilled and knowledgeable about construction site accidents. Your attorney will help you receive the compensation you deserve. Contact the lawyers at Finkelstein & Partners, LLP. We have been helping people just like you and we know exactly what to do. Contact us at 800-529-2676 or email cis@lawampm.com.