Blog Post

5 of the Most Common Causes of Construction Site Injuries

February 26, 2019
Construction Site Injury

Construction sites are dangerous places, so it's not altogether surprising that thousands of accidents and injuries a year occur on them. If you were injured on or near a construction site, you may be entitled to compensation. Anyone working on the site may be eligible for a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim, depending on who was liable for your injury. Anyone not employed on the site may be able to file a personal injury claim.

Understanding the most common types of injuries occurring on and around a construction site can help you articulate exactly what happened to you. These five types of injuries account for the majority of construction accidents, making it likely your injury fits into one of these categories.

1. Slips and Falls

Between the use of ladders and scaffolding, fluid spills, and trip hazards like tools and building materials, it's not surprising that slips and falls account for many construction site accidents. Many of these falls are due to clearly provable negligence, such as a lack of safety railings on raised platforms.

Since many construction projects involve working up high on multi-story buildings or the roofs of single-story structures, these falls often cause serious injuries. Fall-arresting systems can mitigate the risk, but if you were injured while wearing safety equipment that failed, you may still have a claim.

2. Falling Objects

Dropped tools, loose building materials, and tipped over equipment can lead to life-threatening construction site injuries. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) records over 50,000 injuries or deaths due to falling construction items each year. Moreover, this figure doesn't include the number of non-workers injured since those numbers aren't recorded by OSHA.

Almost all cases of falling object injuries involve some kind of negligence because most of these incidents are preventable. Falling tools and building materials are less likely to cause a serious injury when employees are given proper safety equipment, so a lack of employer-provided head protection could be considered negligence it if leads to an injury.

3. Electrocution

As the fourth-leading cause of construction deaths, accidental electrocution is also a major cause of serious and disabling injuries for construction workers. Not all of the risk comes from wiring installed inside of the structures being built, either. Some of these injuries occur when electrical power tools and cords create a shock hazard.

4. Machinery Use

Even when the heavy machinery used for excavating or moving building materials is working properly, construction workers can end up badly injured by them. Injuries may arise from being run over, trapped between moving parts, or pulled into the equipment.

Some machinery injuries even combine with the fall or falling object category, such as when a worker slips off of a tall piece of machinery or is hit by part of it that comes loose. If the machinery was working properly, the negligence may instead be due to a fellow worker's mistake or a lack of OSHA-required safety equipment.

5. Repetitive Strain

Repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel or lower back pain are not likely to be life-threatening, but they can still become disabling. Keep in mind that an injury caused by poor working practices does not automatically constitute a workers’ compensation claim. You'll need to prove that the repetition or poor ergonomics was due to a requirement or decision of your employer and not your own responsibility.

Are you wondering if your recent injury on a construction site may entitles you to compensation? Call our team here at Wegner & Associates to discuss your particular case. We'll help with customized advice and a free consultation so you can make the right decision with regards to your legal rights.

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