How to Determine Fault in a Construction Accident
Negligence in the workplace can cause employees to get injured. People can get hurt in any workplace, even offices. But for workers who have jobs in areas that require safety equipment and gear have a higher risk of serious injury. Construction workers are often around heavy equipment, building materials, and also work at heights above ground-level. If anyone acts negligently and doesn’t have the safety of their workers as a top priority at all times, construction workers can suffer from major injuries.
Construction accident injuries can keep people from returning from work for a long time or even cause a long-lasting health issue that prevents them from coming back to their job when they’re healed. If you’ve been injured in a construction accident, you may be able to get compensation. A Biloxi construction injury lawyer from Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law can help you with your claim and recover the damages you deserve.
Construction Accident Injury Statistics
Construction workers often work in environments where they can sustain injuries if someone is negligent. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) from the United States Department of Labor released statistics about construction workers in the U.S.
- 5 million people work in construction.
- There are about 252,000 construction sites in the country.
- Construction industry has a higher fatal injury rate in the U.S. than other industries.
Construction workers can get injured from:
- Falls.
- Lack of Protective Equipment.
- Trench or Scaffold Collapse.
- Electric Shock.
In 2016, OSHA reported that there were 991 total deaths in construction. Falls accounted for 384 deaths, objects striking people caused 93 deaths, electrocution caused 82, and being caught in machines, equipment, or hit from collapsing structures caused 72.
Who Can Be Held Liable for a Construction Accident?
There are many people involved in construction sites. Determining fault may not be easy, but a skilled construction accident lawyer will go through each party to see who acted negligently and caused your injuries.
- General Contractors and Sub-Contractors. The general contractor should make sure that the site is kept safe and inform workers when areas are dangerous. Sub-contractors can do this as well, but they may have a smaller scope than a general contractor.
- Construction Site Owners. Their liability can depend on the type of incident and the level of involvement in the work at the site. Owners are commonly responsible for incidents like falling from a ladder or scaffold.
- Architects and Engineers. Designers are liable if they violate their contract. They may not follow the plans or the code regulations to keep the site safe and threaten the safety of the workers.
- Equipment Manufacturer. The company that makes the machinery or equipment used on the site may have produced a faulty or defective product that could cause a worker to get injured. In this case, the manufacturer is at fault because they didn’t send a safe product.
- Insurance Company. Workers should have access to types of insurance from their employers.
Get Help from a Mississippi Construction Accident Lawyer
A construction work injury can leave people hospitalized with a long road of recovery ahead of them. It’s not fair that someone has to go through this on their own when someone’s negligence caused the accident. In these cases, legal representation from an experienced lawyer is the right move to getting back on your feet.
Corban Gunn, Attorney at Law will fight to get you compensation for your pain and suffering, medical expenses, lost wages, and more. You can have peace of mind that this all isn’t on your shoulders and a lawyer is looking out for your best interests.
