Cambridge Construction Worker Accidents

Construction work is among the most dangerous work in America. The men and women who help the continuing growth of our nation are also at exponentially higher risk than other professions when it comes to on the job accidents and fatalities. If you or a loved one was injured or even killed in a construction site accident in Cambridge, Boston or elsewhere in Massachusetts, contact the professional construction site accident attorneys at Altman & Altman LLP today.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, there were 991 construction-related fatalities on the job in 2016. That makes up a staggering 21.1% of the total 4,693 on the job fatalities that year. A full one fifth of on the job fatalities occurred in construction fields in 2016, meaning they occur multiple times a day.

What Caused the Construction Site Accident?

Also according to OSHA, more than half (63 percent) of these nearly 1,000 construction site fatalities in 2016 occurred via four common means for injury in the construction field. They are dubbed the “fatal four,” listed as:

• Falls – Falling from a dangerous height caused nearly 40% of fatalities in the field
• Struck by Object – Being hit by a heavy object or a falling object caused almost 10% of fatalities
• Electrocutions – Being electrocuted caused about 8.3% of fatalities in construction
• Caught in Between – Being wedged between unmovable objects caused over 7% of fatalities

Was the Injury Caused by Negligence?

Accidents can happen every day without anyone to blame. However, when an accident could have been prevented and was not the fault of the victim, this means there was probably negligence involved and could be grounds for a personal injury or wrongful death claim, which could result in significant financial recompense through a settlement or court decision.

OSHA has also compiled a list of the most likely causes of construction site injuries. Each of these violations is not only a violation of the important regulations OSHA has put in place to protect workers, they are also all grounds for a possible personal injury claim against the construction company or other liable parties. They include:

• Lack of adequate fall protection
• Lack of adequate communications/training on how to prevent injuries
• Scaffolding violations that fail to protect workers
• Failure to provide adequate respiratory protection
• Failure to protect workers against hazardous energy (electrocutions)
• Ladder-related violations
• Failure to protect workers around powered industrial trucks
• Failure to provide adequate guarding around heavy machinery
• Lack of adequate training on how to specifically prevent falls
• Lack of training regarding proper electrical wiring

Construction Injuries are Preventable Most of the Time

The aforementioned list only touches on the hazards faced by construction workers each day, and there are thousands of ways they may become injured through a normal day’s work. At Altman & Altman LLP, we believe that most construction injuries are preventable and that injuries often result from negligence on the part of somebody or multiple parties who should be responsible for preventing such incidents.

It is unacceptable for a construction company to take for granted the dangerous work that their employees undertake every day by not being as careful as humanly possible to ensure they are safe in performing their work duties. Such injuries can result in massive medical expenses, money lost from being unable to work and, as we have shown, wrongful deaths.

If you have been injured in a construction accident, it is imperative to contact a personal injury attorney to ensure you are able to collect benefits guaranteed by law to help you pay your bills. If there is grounds for a personal injury claim to seek damages, we will get the process started for you and help you every step of the way.

Call us for a free consultation to go over the details of your case today at 617-492-3000 or toll-free at 800-481-6199. We are available 24/7.