El Segundo Construction Accident Lawyer

Importance Of Working With An Experienced Construction Accident Lawyer

Retaining an El Segundo construction accident lawyer right after an accident can help prove liability against the at-fault party/parties. Specifically, if you hire a construction accident attorney early on, they will conduct an investigation by visiting the site, preserving video and photo evidence, interviewing witnesses, and more. If the case moves forward, you may have to obtain court orders to gather more evidence from involved parties and reach out to government agencies such as OSHA to verify safety filings. These tasks can be challenging to handle alone. Hiring an experienced construction accident attorney can help you initiate and manage these processes effectively.

The “Fatal Four” Construction Accidents

The “Fatal Four” are the leading causes of construction site fatalities, as identified by OSHA. These causes include:

• In California, falls are the leading cause of accidents at construction sites, making up about 38% of all construction-related deaths. Workers face a significant risk of falling from heights such as ladders, scaffolding, roofs, and cross beams.
• Improperly secured tools, equipment, or other construction materials can fall and hit workers below, causing struck-by-object accidents. These accidents account for more than 9% of fatalities.
• Construction workers can get caught in or trapped between equipment, machinery, or objects, or under collapsing structures, which is known as caught-in/between accidents. These accidents are responsible for more than 7% of construction worker fatalities.
• Electrocutions are a frequent occurrence in the construction industry due to the workers’ exposure to wires, resulting in over 8% of deaths in this field.

Apart from the Fatal Four, construction workers in California may also sustain injuries from other types of accidents.

• Brazing/welding is an important function at most construction sites, however, welding accidents can result in catastrophic injuries and long-term complications.
• Collapses often occur when workers are directed to dig trenches, which can cave in if proper safeguards are not taken. If structures are not properly supported, they may collapse and workers may become trapped under the rubble.
• Fires and explosions can be caused by all types of hazards — exposed wiring, leaking pipes, flammable chemicals, fractured gas mains, unattended blow torches, and welding tools.
• Hand and power tools, such as saws, nail guns, drills, polishers, sanders, and spray guns can cause injuries when workers are not properly trained.
• Heavy equipment and machinery (e.g. cranes, forklifts, dumpsters) contribute to numerous construction accidents and injuries.

To ensure you receive the full compensation you deserve after a construction accident, it’s important to team up with a determined El Segundo construction accident lawyer, no matter what type of accident you experienced.

Common Injuries From Construction Accidents In California

Construction jobs involve some minor or normal injuries like scrapes, minor scratches, bruises, sprains, low back pain, and tendinitis. However, severe traumas can also happen. Our El Segundo construction accident attorneys commonly deal with injuries resulting from falls, motor vehicle or equipment accidents, falling objects, over-exertion, and interactions with dangerous chemicals, fires or explosions.

Employees at Los Angeles construction sites are at risk of explosions, which can occur due to accidental impact on gas tanks while welding or hitting a gas line or natural gas pocket while using a jackhammer, among other situations. Such explosions can result in death or severe burns to nearby employees. Construction site injuries can be serious and may include:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Deep wounds
• Dislocation
• Burns
• Spinal cord injuries
• Broken bones
• Hearing loss
• Blinding injuries
• Scaffolding accidents
• Falls from great heights
• Collapsed ceiling injury
• Welding accidents

Construction accidents in Los Angeles County can cause severe and catastrophic injuries. These injuries can have long-term consequences and devastate not only the workers involved but also their families. Infections, nerve damage or severance, partial or full paralysis, amputation, and even coma can result from these accidents. While hard hats are mandatory, they may not be enough to prevent injuries that occur due to scaffolding accidents, accidental falls into trenches, MIG, TIG, and oxy-acetylene welding tanks, or defective equipment or machinery.

California Workers’ Compensation Claims

Under California law, workers’ compensation is the sole option to file a claim against an employer. Companies in the construction industry are required to have a no-fault policy to provide workers’ compensation coverage to their employees. Workers’ compensation is mandatory and covers all employees. It is categorized as “no-fault” coverage, which means you do not need to prove the employer’s fault to receive benefits when filing a claim.

Although workers’ compensation benefits cover employees who are injured on the job or suffer from occupational diseases that occur in the “course and scope” of their employment, there are some limitations. These benefits apply even if the employee is partially at fault. However, if the employee was not performing their job duties at the time of the accident, workers’ compensation benefits may not be applicable.

If an employee is not scheduled to work or is off-duty, engaging in equipment misuse may lead to a denied claim by the workers’ compensation carrier. Similarly, if an employee driving a construction vehicle gets into an accident that’s not related to their work responsibilities, workers’ compensation may not be applicable.

California Fatal Work Injury Statistics

The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) collects information on on-the-job injuries, illnesses, and deaths. They’ve found that the top three industries for work-related deaths, based on every 100,000 workers, are:

• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing, and Hunting — 2014 (8.2), 2015 (17.1), 2016 (10.4)
• Transportation and Utilities — 2014 (7.9), 2015 (4.9), 2016 (7.4)
• Construction — 2014 (4.5), 2015 (6.8), 2016 (5.2).

In 2016, the number of workplace fatalities in the United States was the highest it’s been since 2008, with 5,190 workers losing their lives. Compared to 2015, there was a 7% increase, while the increase from 2012 was 12% overall. Unfortunately, an estimated 14 workers die every day in the U.S. due to preventable workplace accidents and exposure. Additionally, between 50,000 to 60,000 people die each year in the country as a result of complications from occupational illnesses.