Common Construction Accident Injuries
Construction accident injuries can range from the mildest kind of sprain leading to a lost day of work to traumatic brain injuries (TBI) that forever change a person’s life. Many of the accidents are due to unnatural positioning of the body such as isthe case with many back injuries and sprains or blunt trauma from some fixed structure such as is the case with concussions and traumatic brain injuries. For that reason, construction accidents are for the most part quite similar to those that can occur in other types of accidents such as those involving motor vehicles (please see our section on car accident injuries for greater detail). Some injuries, however, are unique to construction accidents and merit particular attention.
Electrocution
Electrocutions in the workplace can be caused by a variety of different reasons, most of which involve somebody’s negligence, whether it is an employer, fellow worker, or the electric company. Some common electrocution injuries result from:
- Contact with power lines
- Failure to post electrical warning signs
- Inadequate training
- Failure to use proper insulated wiring
- Defective products
Electrocutions can cause severe injuries to workers at even low transmission levels. Clothes can catch fire causing severe burns that may take years to recover from. Electrical shocks sent through the body can cause the muscles to go rigid leading to fractures, bruises, paralysis, brain damage and even death.
Severe Burns
Severe burns are some of the most traumatic and difficult to heal from injuries that a worker can experience. Severe burns in the workplace are unfortunately not a rare event. The average construction site has a few hundred different items lying around, any of which if improperly used could lead to a severe burn. Some common situation in which severe burns result on a construction site include:
- Petrochemical accidents
- Compressed gas explosions
- Defective products
- Building fires
A severely burned worker faces a long and arduous healing process. Failure to seek immediate and quality treatment can result in unnecessary scarring and an infection as the immune system is compromised. A severely burned worker will need expert legal advice to ensure that he or she receives compensation for every facet the burning incident will have on their life. The burned worker may need years of physical and psychological therapy.
At The Law Offices of Jonathan B. Nelson, PC, we know the terrible price severe burn victims pay for their injuries. If you or a loved one has been burned in a construction accident related injury, call us as soon as possible. We will provide a no obligation case review to determine how to proceed. If you decide to hire us, we will launch an immediate investigation into the details of the event and identify every single responsible party. We will consult with doctors to ensure that you receive the very best care, that evidence is preserved, and that every cost is quantified. Once that information is received, we will vigorously pursue compensation to pay for your medical expenses, therapy, pain and suffering, lost quality of life, lost wages etc. While we will try to negotiation and settle without litigation, we will not hesitate to go to court if necessary to secure fair and equitable compensation.
Compensable Damages
Construction workers are injured at a frequency much higher than any other occupational group. For an injured construction worker, healing from an injury is only one of a series of worries. Following his or her injury, a construction worker is most likely out of a job. Most likely the worker will file for workers compensation to help pay for lost wages while the worker is recovering. While government employees and insurance companies investigate the claim and process the paperwork, the worker and his or her family will be piling up bills during a time when wages are not coming in.
For those who have not prepared for such an eventuality, it can mean financial ruin, the dissolution of a family, and trauma that one can never fully heal from. Even when Workers Compensation benefits are received, the money is only mean to cover lost wages. Often, the Workers Compensation regime is only available for a limited amount of time, even if the worker may be out of work for the rest of their working life. In addition, the money does not provide a dime for a workers pain and suffering even when the injury was not the workers fault.
If it is not evident yet, the system devised to protect workers is far from efficient and fair. Many injured workers become frustrated with the process and become convinced that they will have to seek remedy from private insurance companies and the courts. With a good lawyer and a fighting spirit, you may be able to obtain compensation for the following either through negotiation, settlement or trial.
- Loss of household services
- Lost wages and career opportunities
- Loss of health insurance, pension, and other medical benefits
- Loss of the enjoyments of life
- Current and future pain and suffering
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