Joliet Construction Accident Attorney 

Construction sites are prone to accidents that can leave employees with serious or even fatal injuries. The inherently dangerous nature of the work there leads to a high frequency of accidents in this profession, injuring the employees working in the industry. Accidents on construction sites can have significant repercussions for those injured.

If you are injured in a construction accident, you need the right type of Joliet construction accident attorney to fight for you to receive the compensation you’re entitled to for your injuries suffered during a construction site accident. 

Causes of Construction Accidents

Some examples of construction site accidents are more common than others. Below is a list of the more common ones starting with the Fatal Four, which are the first four listed which account for over 60% of all construction accidents.

• Slips & falls. Slips and Falls accounted for 278 out of 775 (36%) total deaths in construction in 2019, according to OSHA. They are the most common type of workplace injury at construction sites. An injury of this type may occur when a worker near an open-sided floor steps backward or sideways without looking. Falling hazards also commonly occur on stairwells with no guardrails. Since high elevations often play a role in these falls, the results can be catastrophic to workers who sustain serious injuries. The main cause of death in construction occurs where inadequate or no fall protection is provided.
• Struck by an object. Seventy-eight construction workers died as a result of being struck by an object, according to statistics from 2019. A number of these deaths may have been prevented if the workers had undergone proper training and used equipment and machinery properly. 
• Electrocutions. In 2019, 66 workers (9%) were seriously injured or killed by electrocution. Sometimes, these types of accidents occur because workers are simply unaware of all energized power sources, from overhead and underground power lines to damaged receptacles and connectors. 
• Caught-in/between.  Caught in/between accidents happen when a worker’s body part is caught, crushed, squeezed, compressed, or pinched between two or more objects. Examples include cave-ins or collapsing materials, body parts caught in the moving parts of an unguarded piece of machinery, equipment rollovers, and getting pinned between fixed objects, like a wall or piece of heavy equipment.
• Ladder accidents. This is one of the leading causes of injury and long-term disability. Most ladder accidents, including falls, happen because workers use the wrong type of ladder for their job or they set up the ladder improperly, perhaps on a slippery or unstable surface, and the ladder unexpectedly shifts or slips. Ladders may be defective or improperly maintained by the construction company or company overseeing the worksite and are a frequent cause of injuries involving ladders.
• Power tool and machinery accidents. Power tool and machinery injuries may occur for reasons that include mechanical defects, electrical failure, inadequate training, and failure or lack of proper safety equipment. A significant number of injuries are caused by the use of power tools and large equipment.

These are just some of the common causes of workplace accidents for construction workers. As is obvious, the sheer number of ways in which something could go horribly wrong on a construction site with all the potential dangers listed above makes this field of work especially dangerous.

Liability

While workers’ compensation often applies to these injuries, it is only if the parties involved are simply the employer and employee. Furthermore, workers’ compensation often provides inadequate compensation to truly cover a victim’s costs and medical bills suffered as a result of the accident. Victims should discuss with a construction accident attorney if other liable entities can provide justice for the construction worker. 

Construction projects usually involve multiple companies, entities, and persons all involved in and working on a single construction site project. A construction accident lawyer can help find which groups, persons, or companies (who do not employ the injured worker) negligently caused an injury and file a personal injury lawsuit in addition to the workers’ compensation benefits claim. In some cases, when defective materials or safety equipment are the cause of the injury on a construction site, an employee could potentially bring a product liability case against the manufacturer for negligence.  

How a Joliet Construction Accident Attorney at Pinkston Law Group P.C. Can Help

If you’ve suffered injuries as the victim of an accident on a construction site as an employee in the Joliet region of Illinois, you need a dedicated lawyer to navigate the complexities of these cases to help you receive proper compensation.  

The Pinkston Law Group P.C. has a team that is dedicated to helping victims like you receive full compensation for the injuries caused by a construction site accident. We have an experienced track record of success in helping our clients obtain what they’re entitled to for construction site accidents and the injuries sustained. To get connected with a Joliet construction accident attorney for a consultation on your case, contact us either online or by phone at 773-770-4771.