Personal Injury Lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona

The National Safety Council states that every seven seconds a worker is injured on the job. One in ten construction workers are injured every year. 

The United States Department of Labor reports that of the 4,674 worker fatalities in private industries in 2017, 971 of them were in construction. That equals one in five workplace deaths happening on construction sites.

The leading causes of death on a construction site are: falls, being struck by an object, electrocutions, and a worker being caught in or compressed by equipment or objects.

There are many potential construction site types of injuries, such as:

• Burns and scarring are a common injury because of the probability of fires or explosions at a building site. Exposed wiring, dangerous chemicals, leaking pipes are potential risks for fires.
• Head injuries can occur as a result of falling tools or materials. These injuries can range from lacerations to traumatic brain injury. A hard hat should be worn at all times to help prevent head injuries.
• Injuries to the spinal cord may occur due to falls, usually from a ladder, scaffold.
• Cuts and lacerations are common.
• Broken, fractured or crushed bones. Equipment vehicles not secured or operated properly can hit or crush a worker, resulting in serious injuries. 
• Limbs or digit loss
• Loss of hearing
• Stress injuries
• Heatstroke
• Vision loss

Falls are the biggest cause of construction injuries. The most violated OSHA standard is fall protection. NBC new reports that the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that 887 workers died in falls in 2017, the most since the agency started tracking job-related fatalities three decades ago. Deaths from falls accounted for more than 17 percent of all job-related fatalities that year which is another record. In construction, the rate was almost 40 percent. “It’s the number 1 killer,” states Scott Earnest, deputy director of construction safety and health at the National Institute for Occupational safety and Health (NIOSH), a federal research agency focused on worker health and safety.

Recently, crane collapses occurred in Dallas and Seattle. In Dallas, in June, a crane collapsed into an apartment building, killing one person and injuring at least five more, heavy storms had been in the area. 

In Seattle, in April, four people were killed after a construction crane fell from the top of a building and crushed six vehicles. 

Following serious injuries suffered at a construction site, an experienced personal injury lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona may be able to look into potential fault, and claims for damages.

Thanks to The Law Office of Paul Englander, PLC for their insight into personal injury claims and construction accident injuries.