Construction workers are at risk of severe injuries on the job, especially when they deal with negligently maintained locations, defective equipment or dangerous behavior from other contractors on the California location. Of course, any worker may suffer a serious injury in the workplace, but people in the construction trades are exposed to heavy equipment and risky machinery with the potential for substantial, long-term damage in case of a problem on the job.
Common construction accidents
For example, many construction accidents involve collisions with equipment being driven or operated on the site. In some cases, this equipment is run by other contractors without proper training, while in other cases, the vehicles and machinery may themselves be defective or poorly maintained by an outside repair shop. Slip and fall injuries are also all too common at construction sites. While the nature of a construction site may lend itself to uneven ground and in-progress buildings, site managers may also have failed to clear away or properly warn of debris.
Dangers posed by third parties
Serious construction injuries can also involve being struck by an object, such as tools, equipment, building materials and other heavy items. In some cases, these objects may be dropped by another contractor sharing the same site without proper precautions for those working below. Construction workers are also at particular risk for “stuck between” accidents, when clothing or body parts are injured inside machinery or equipment, which may be defective or dangerous.
Construction workers who have been injured in an on-site accident may think that their only recourse is a workers’ compensation claim. However, in many cases, third parties may be responsible for dangerous sites, falling objects, poor management, dangerous vehicle operation or negligent hiring, giving rise to a personal injury lawsuit.
