Orange County Construction Accident Attorney

Thousands of construction workers and innocent bystanders suffer serious injury and even death in construction accidents every year. Federal and state laws monitor the safety of construction sites, but life-altering accidents are still too frequent. Construction accidents can include examples such as collapse due to a defective structure, electrocution, chemical exposure, falls, explosions and fire, falling objects and defective machinery and equipment.

If you or someone you love has been injured or killed in a construction accident, you need to seek the counsel of a skilled and trusted Orange County personal injury attorney. You may be entitled to compensation for your losses. Please contact Aitken * Aitken * Cohn today to speak with one of our highly respected Orange County construction accident lawyers FREE of charge.

Construction Accident Causes

Any number of things can go wrong at a construction site. Common causes of job-site accidents include:

  • Lack of or inadequate training for construction worker
  • Inadequate number of workers on a work site
  • Negligence and wrongdoing of a contractor, equipment supplier, product manufacturer, or another third party
  • Substance abuse on the job
  • Defective, damaged or worn-out materials, tools, equipment or machinery

In order to prevent construction accidents, a construction company is legally responsible for inspecting all worksites to ensure compliance with safety regulations and premises liability law. Additionally, manufacturers of construction tools and equipment are legally responsible for ensuring their products are not damaged or defective. If these regulations are neglected, construction accidents can occur and result in serious consequences for workers and/or unsuspecting passersby.

Construction Accident Statistics

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), there were approximately 2.8 million non-fatal injuries or illnesses reported during the latest year in the US. Many of those were in the construction industry. The BLS states that construction had 3.1 recordable incidents per 100 workers, making this one of the most dangerous occupations.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) says that 20% of all workplace fatalities during the latest reporting year were in the construction industry. The most common causes of fatalities in construction include:

  • Falls (39.2%)
  • Getting struck by an object (8.2%)
  • Electrocutions (7.3%)
  • Getting caught in between objects (5.1%)

Most common construction accident injuries

There are many causes of construction accidents, but what are the most common construction accident injuries?

When most people think of construction accident injuries, they think of traumatic injuries. It is true that many construction injuries include the following:

However, workers in the construction industry are regularly exposed to hazardous materials or forced to perform the same motions over and over again for long periods of time. This leads to many workplace injuries and illnesses developing over the course of months or years, including:

  • Hearing and vision loss
  • Respiratory problems or other chronic illnesses
  • Repetitive stress injuries
  • Cancers (i.e. exposure to asbestos, silica, etc.)

“Friendly staff and quick to answer questions and return calls. They are honest and friendly. I would absolutely refer other people to this firm.”

R.E. – Client Review

What Type of Compensation Are You Entitled To?

Workers who are injured on the job should always be able to count on coverage from workers’ compensation. In California, the workers’ compensation system is no-fault, meaning that it does not matter whether you or your employer caused the injury – you are entitled to compensation.

Workers’ compensation insurance should cover all medical expenses related to the work injury as well as a portion of your lost wages.

What if The Construction Accident Was Caused By a Third Party?

It is common in the construction industry for a company to use third-party contractors. For example, one company may be in charge of the overall site work, but they may call in specialists to handle electric, plumbing, drainage, or more.

If a worker is injured due to the actions of a third-party contractor, they may be able to secure compensation beyond what is offered through workers’ compensation through a personal injury lawsuit. This could include pain and suffering damages and punitive damages against the at-fault party.

If the Injury Was Caused by a Defective Product

If a construction worker is injured because a tool or other product was defective, they may be able to file a product liability lawsuit against the manufacturer of the tool. This could result in more compensation than they would gain through a workers’ compensation claim.

Non-Worker Construction Accident Injuries

People other than construction workers can be injured at construction sites. Falling debris is a common cause of pedestrian injuries around active construction sites. Construction companies have a duty to ensure that they take appropriate safety precautions that any other contractor would take in a similar situation.

Construction companies and contractors who fail to keep the public safe from reasonably foreseeable dangers, or fail to warn the public of known dangers, could be held liable for any injuries and damages they cause. In these cases, an injured non-worker could file a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent construction company or contractor.

Contact our Orange County Construction Accident Lawyer for Legal Help

If you or a loved one has suffered injury or death in a construction accident, you may be eligible to recover your damages including medical costs, lost income or earning capacity, pain and suffering and more. Depending on the circumstances surrounding the accident, a product manufacturer, construction company, or other negligent third parties could be held accountable for your losses. Please contact us today for a no-cost consultation with a proven personal injury attorney who can inform you of your options and aggressively pursue your legal rights and interests.