We at Bey & Associates know that Cincinnati and all of Ohio owes a great deal to the hard work accomplished on construction sites. Individuals employed in the construction industry have put immeasurable effort into shaping our communities—from the houses, condos, apartments, schools, universities, hospitals, and shops that make our city home to Carew Tower, Queen City Square, the Contemporary Arts Center, the Roebling Bridge, and the historic structures that make Cincinnati famous. But skilled laborers on construction sites face some of the most grueling and hazardous working conditions of any field of employment. According to OSHA statistics, about 15 workers lose their lives in construction site accidents every day in the United States.
If you were injured or lost someone close to you in a construction site accident, it’s our job as construction site accident attorneys to protect you. The duty of a Cincinnati construction accident lawyer is to make sure that injured workers in our city can obtain the justice they deserve. When a person who is hard at work is injured on the job through no fault of their own, the law can ensure that they can recover what has been taken from them through carelessness, negligence, or wrongdoing.
To learn more about how Bey & Associates may be able to help your family recover after a construction site accident, reach out to an attorney from our Cincinnati-based personal injury law firm. A member of our team is available to meet with individuals and families in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, and surrounding areas in Ohio.
The Most Common Construction Site Injuries
Because of the dangerous nature of construction work, construction site accidents, when they occur, rarely result in minor injuries like scratches and bruises. If someone is considering taking legal action after a construction site injury, it is almost always because they have sustained severe, life-altering injuries. Many of these injuries prevent them from continuing their employment. Too often, injured victims and families are forced into highly challenging circumstances when their financial security is taken from them. Some of the most common construction site accident injuries include:
- Broken bones and fractures.
- Neck and spinal cord injury.
- Head injury, including traumatic brain injury (TBI).
- Electrocution.
- Amputation or loss of body parts.
- Respiratory illness and lung damage.
- Fire and chemical burns.
- Toxic exposure.
- Paralysis.
- Permanent scarring and disfigurement.
- Eye injuries.
- Loss of vision.
- Loss of hearing.
- Crushing injuries.
- Internal organ damage.
- Puncture wounds.
- Repetitive motion injuries.
- Psychological trauma, including PTSD.
- Wrongful death.
Types of Construction Site Accidents
Many construction site accidents occur because adequate safety measures are not observed. Construction sites—where multiple parties are using powerful equipment, heavy machinery, dangerous chemicals, flammable materials, and engaging in risky activities at great heights—are already hazardous places. Roles in the construction industry are considered to be some of the most dangerous positions laborers in the U.S. can hold. Therefore, the federal safety guidelines for construction sites are strict and numerous. But when construction site safety laws are not followed, these violations often lead to preventable accidents, injuries, and even deaths. The most common OSHA safety violations in the United States last year included:
- Inadequate protection from falling.
- Lack of warnings for dangerous chemical use.
- Failure to protect from respiratory disease.
- Scaffolding and ladder safety violations.
- Failure to protect from hazardous energy accidents.
- Improper industrial truck operation.
- Inadequate fall protection training.
- Lack of proper eye and face protection.
- Failure to guard against dangerous moving machine parts.
Those responsible for the safety of workers must keep employees free from preventable harm. When general contractors, job site managers, managing companies, or third-party workers are negligent or disregard mandatory safety protocol, devastating accidents often result. The term “Fatal Four” is frequently used about the four most common causes of fatality in the construction industry:
- Falls.
- Struck-By Accidents.
- Caught-In and Caught-Between Accidents.
- Electrocutions.
Legal Options After a Construction Site Accident
If you were the victim of negligence on a construction site, it can be a comfort to know that there are legal options to help you and your family recover. Taking legal action is often an essential step in a family’s recovery after a severe accident. Construction site injury victims are, in many cases, forced suddenly and unexpectedly to carry an enormous financial burden. Expenses add up quickly, stemming from hospital and doctor’s visits, prescription medications, physical therapy, ongoing medical treatment, lost wages, and sometimes even permanent disability resulting in the loss of the ability to work. It’s never right that you and your family should have to suffer the financial consequences of another party’s mistake.
Depending on the circumstances of your or your loved one’s accident, there may be different legal options that your Cincinnati construction accident lawyer can help you consider. Your attorney will examine your case’s details to determine the best course of action for pursuing compensation. Your construction accident lawyer from Bey & Associates will be able to offer experienced legal guidance to help you maximize compensation and make sure that the appropriate party is held accountable for negligence, carelessness, or wrongdoing.
Sometimes, your attorney may recommend and help you file a workers’ compensation claim to receive workers’ comp benefits for your injury. In other negligence cases, it may be appropriate to file a work injury claim to recover further damages like pain and suffering resulting from job site negligence. When a design or manufacturing defect leads to a mechanical malfunction that causes you injury, it may be best to file a product liability claim against the company responsible for the faulty equipment. And when your family has suffered the tragic and preventable death of a loved one on a construction site, your attorney will support and advocate for your family through every step of your wrongful death claim. By taking legal action, you can help ensure that a similar action leading to another person’s injury does not happen again.
We know every construction site accident case is unique and often complicated. But no matter how complex the legal issues can become, we never forget that your family’s health, well-being, and physical, emotional, and financial recovery are the focus of everything we do. We work hard to give you dependable, competent, and uncompromising legal backing so you never have to worry about the outcome of your case. Reach out to a member of our team of skilled and passionate legal advocates to let us learn more about how we can help you.
