Construction Site Injuries
Being employed at a construction site, or simply being present on one, can be really unsafe and can cause serious Construction Site Injuries. We have construction work going on all around us in our society. Of all the industries, the highest number of worker accidents are witnessed in the construction industry. These accidents arise due to the ever changing work environments, usage of heavy equipment and machinery and tough site conditions.
Causes of Construction Site Injuries
Under the purview of the law, each and every construction worker in California should be trained thoroughly about the working of machines and other equipment on a construction site. It is mandatory that are provided with safety equipment to prevent any injury or death due to accident on the construction site. Despite OSHA prescribing such strict guidelines for workplace, every year, thousands of people lose their lives or are severely injured due to accidents on construction sites.
Some of the causes of Construction Site Injuries or deaths are:
- Falling from extreme heights
- Collapsing in the Trenches
- Accidents in Forklift operations
- Being struck or hit by heavy machinery
- Falling objects or debris on the head
- Accidents in crane operations
- Exposure to toxic chemicals and hazardous materials
- Getting electrocuted or burnt in fire
- Insufficient or poor training of the workers
- Improper use of equipment and machinery
If you or your family member have been in an accident and suffered Construction Site Injuries, your rights to claim compensation or damages depends on whether you were a bystander or visitor on the site or a worker. If you were a visitor or bystander and have been injured on the site, your case would fall under the personal injury law and the person or organisation responsible for hurting you should pay for your injuries.
However if you were employed with the construction site, the case is different and becomes complicated. An employee injured on the construction site can be entitled to receive compensation from more than one parties. If an incompetent attorney overlooks this point, the injured worker may obtain much lesser than he is entitled to receive.
Worker’s Compensation:
Every year, thousands of construction workers are either injured or killed while working on site. Most workers are aware that they can file for worker’s compensation benefits under the California Workers Compensation Act, if they get injured while on job at the construction site. Under the act, the employees who get injured while on the job or contract any kind of occupational disease because of their scope of employment, are entitled to claim damages and avail the compensation benefits.
However there are some limitations, except in some circumstances, most employees do not sue their employers for an injury they attained while on job. Secondly the workers’ compensation if claimed and received, it does not provide enough benefits to cover the damages suffered by the employee.
What workers don’t know is that they can apply for a workers’ compensation claim and also file a case for damages against a liable party. This is known as a third-party case.
We at Khashan Law, are committed to represent individuals who have been injured on site and family members of construction workers, who have lost their loved ones in disastrous construction accidents. We have won a number of cases of Construction Site Injuries and have helped the victims in obtaining full compensation for their present and future damages. Call us at (951) 461-2387 for a free, confidential consultation.