Construction workers face very serious dangers on a daily basis, and an unexpected accident often leads to catastrophic injuries or death. This was the case on January 29, 2013, when a construction worker fell through the floor and hit his head while working on an apartment building. It is reported that there was a hole in the first floor, and that the unidentified worker fell approximately 15 feet, where he sustained a fatal injury when his head hit a steel girder. OSHA investigators are expected to investigate, and all work on the site has been halted.
Many serious or fatal accidents take place on construction sites, often involving falls, whether from a ladder, girder, through a floor or from scaffolding. When the injured worker survives, a blow to the head can result in permanent brain damage. Those workers that do recover may have reduced cognitive ability, or could take many years of rehabilitation and training to be able to function at close to normal.
No matter how thoroughly safety standards and regulations are followed, serious accidents take place on a fairly frequent basis. In some cases, the cause of the accident is related to negligence on the part of a third party, such as another contractor, electrical or gas companies, crane operators or others. Each case should be carefully reviewed to determine how to move forward. In cases in which other parties could be established as having contributed to the injury, it may be possible to take legal action and recover compensation beyond the benefits offered under workers’ compensation.
Contact Katz, Leidman, Freund & Herman for representation in workplace injury cases. The firm has 50 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured workers.