How Common Are Construction Site Accidents?

How Common Are Construction Site Accidents

Construction site injuries are a common occurrence across the United States. This has been a normal occurrence, however. According to a 2012 census conducted by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction sector alone held the highest fatal work injury number out of any other industrial sector. This statistic does not include non-fatal accidents or medical claims for compensation purposes; it only accounts for incidents reported to authorities (and sadly, these reports tend to under-represent actual events).

Construction site accidents can be devastating to not only you but your loved ones, as well, with recovery putting someone out of commission for so long that providing for your family is impossible. And that’s the best-case scenario in a number of these occurrences.

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What Causes These Accidents?

Although many factors may contribute to any given construction site injury, one major cause is the mismanagement of heavy machinery or the worksite being incredibly unsafe and not very well inspected. Yet another factor can be under qualified workers being put into hazardous areas of work. This dangerous combination has reportedly led to hundreds of deaths over recent years. A 2013 CDC study showed that 143 work-related deaths from 1994-2013 were attributed to young workers under 18 years of age.

What Are Common Construction Site Injury Claims?

The most common types of claims filed in these cases include:

Head injury liability – if you suffer an injury because your employer did not take proper safety precautions (such as wearing a hardhat or using guardrails), then you may be able to sue for compensation on your head injury claim. However, this type of lawsuit can be complicated – you may want to contact a lawyer for assistance in determining whether your case qualifies.

Construction site injury misclassification – if you were responsible for providing your own tools or equipment, then your employer may have neglected to consider that these items are required for you to perform your job safely and legally. If an accident arises due to how your employer fails to account for these factors, then they may be held liable for any resulting damages caused by their negligence.

Why These Types of Cases are So Hard to Fight

There are many reasons why construction site injury cases are so hard to fight – including:

Fear of retaliation: Construction workers who speak up about unsafe working conditions face a high risk of being punished by their employer (through demotion, job loss, etc). This creates an atmosphere where no honest worker dares to expose risks that could hurt other employees; hence, safety hazards go unchecked.

Bosses have leverage and control over labor: In the construction industry, many workers are employees at-will. This means they can be fired without any valid reason for doing so. This gives employers great leverage over their employees – and when those employers fail to provide adequate safety measures on-site, these employees don’t have much leverage left to fight back with.

Employees choose not to file claims: Many people who experience an injury or fatality on a construction site will forgo filing a claim out of fear that they’ll face disciplinary action from their employer. Only 3 in 10 injured workers use available legal resources to obtain compensation after an accident occurs.

Do I Have a Case?

If you’ve suffered a construction site injury and you believe that your employer’s negligence played a part in this event, then contacting a construction workers’ compensation attorney may be the best route to take. Construction accidents are serious events that can result in injuries ranging from minor cuts and bruises to debilitating spinal cord damage and death. If you’ve been hurt on the job, then ask yourself whether your employer took all necessary steps (such as providing proper safety equipment) to prevent accidents from occurring.

One of the biggest factors for success regarding any work-related accident is proving that there was negligence involved from either your employer or another third party. It is important to keep track of any medical expenses, lost wages, or other out-of-pocket losses that you may wish to claim in a lawsuit. If your injury was caused by the negligence of another person (including defects in equipment), then there is a good chance that you could be eligible for compensation.

Construction sites can be dangerous places to work, but with proper precautions and safety measures in place, most accidents are preventable. However, if something does go wrong at your job site and someone is negligent, then you must contact a lawyer right away before filing any legal claims.

7 COMMENTS

  1. Harmful Accidents occur in construction sites are contributed by the events such as (1) Falls 45%, (2) Contact with Objects and Equipment 18%, (3) Exposure to Harmful Substances/Environments 18%, (4) Transportation Accidents 14%, (5) Assaults & Violent Acts 3%, and (6) Fire & Explosion 2% as of NAHB Residential Construction Industry Fatalities 2003 – 2006. In the above study, Falls contribute to major hazard which shall be controlled by Providing catch platform, full body harness with life line anchorage, wet floor shall be dried immediately, good house keeping practices, openings in the floor levels shall be barricaded, edges and corners of the buildings also shall be barricaded while working.

    Er.S.S.Kishhore Kumar / Research Scholar of Prof.Dr.I.Manavalan / Tiruchirapalli / Tamilnadu / India

    Date : 30-01-2022

    • How Common are Construction Site Accidents?

      Excellent My Scholar Er.S.S.Kishhore Kumar!

      You Have Commented the As per the ‘NAHB Residential Construction Industry Fatalities Studies During the Years of 2003 – 2006’- Harmful Accidents Occur In Construction Sites are Contributed By the Events for the Total 100% Comprises Such as:

      (1) Falls= 45%;
      (2) Contact with Objects and Equipment =18%;
      (3) Exposure to Harmful Substances/Environments= 18%;
      (4) Transportation Accidents= 14%;
      (5) Assaults & Violent Acts =03%, and
      (6) Fire & Explosion= 02%

      Will you Please Provide By the Latest Years of At least During ‘2018-2020’ Study Data
      (Or)
      If Not Available, Kindly Confirm These “2003-2006’’Years Data itself is in Vogue to Consider for Further Analysis & Proceedings.

      +Prof.Dr.I.Manavalan / Health,Safety & Environment-HSE Consultant Advisor / Tiruchirappalli / Tamilnadu/India /

      Date: 30-01-2022.

  2. Good afternoon sir
    Can guide or provide notes on LEGAL REGISTER of Health and Safety for construction work.

  3. How Common are Construction Site Accidents?

    The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Reports that One-1 Out of Every Five-5 Worker Deaths In Private Industry In 2019 Was In Construction — A Total Number of 1,061 Fatalities (Severtity Rate )& More than 200,000 Non-Fatal Injuries ( Frequency Rate ) Occurred in the Same Year of ‘2019’.

    +Prof.Dr.I.Manavalan / Health,Safety & Environment-HSE Consultant Advisor /
    Tiruchirappalli / Tamilnadu /India

    Date: 29-01-2022.

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