Workers’ Compensation: Construction Site Falls
December 23, 2015
Construction sites are among the most dangerous work environments in the U.S., and falls are one of the leading causes of injury and death on a construction site. In 2013, there were 291 fatal falls from height to a lower level out of 828 total fatalities in construction. The sad news is that these deaths are preventable according to the Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA). OSHA and the National Institute for Occupational Safety have teamed up to raise awareness about fall hazards in construction and how falls can be prevented and lives saved through their Plan, Provide and Train campaign.Construction site fall accidents
Some examples of the kinds of fall accidents that can occur on a construction site in or around Philadelphia include:
- Falls from scaffolding
- Falls from ladders
- Defective stairways and railings
- Uncovered trenches
- Falls from roofs
- Falls from fences and barriers
- Falls from cherry pickers
Common injuries from construction site falls
Depending on the circumstances of the accident including how high the worker was when they fell, what they landed on and if anything fell on top of them, there can be several different injuries that can come from falling on a Philadelphia construction site:
- Broken bones
- Lacerations
- Traumatic brain injury
- Spinal cord injury
- Neck injury
- Wrongful death
Lawsuits from fall injuries on a construction site
If the worker who suffered a fall on a construction site is a regular employee, they may be eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim for their injury. If approved, the worker would receive a weekly payment for lost wages and coverage for their medical expenses related to the workplace injury.
If the fall case involves the liability of a third party, as in the case of defective equipment, or if the worker was injured while doing work on another person’s property, there is the possibility of filing a third party personal injury claim. An experienced Philadelphia workers’ compensation attorney from Larry Pitt & Associates would be able to assist the worker in filing a workers’ compensation claim and then investigating the option of filing a third party lawsuit. In the event of achieving a settlement for a third-party lawsuit, the worker would be obligated to reimburse their employer’s workers’ compensation insurance company for whatever they had paid out on their injury claim. The worker would then be able to keep whatever is left over.
If you suffered a construction site workplace injury, contact the Philadelphia workers’ compensation lawyers at Larry Pitt & Associates. We can help you get compensation for your injuries. We have offices throughout Pennsylvania to serve clients in Berks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties and beyond.
