Construction workers sometimes face dangers on a daily basis. Even though there are many safety protocols construction sites have to adhere to, there are still hazards that can present themself. Oftentimes if someone does get injured from a construction site, it is because someone was negligent in following the expected standards of safety. 

New York Labor Laws impose a wide variety of safety restrictions on owners and general contractors of construction sites. It is for this reason that most construction accidents are avoidable and are usually due to the failure of owners and general contractors to follow required laws. If you’ve been injured on a construction site, you might not be sure whether the situation you were in that caused the injury is something you can gain compensation for through a lawsuit. So here are the most common causes of construction site accidents, and why you may be eligible to pursue compensation.

Crane-related accident.

Any type of construction with cranes is already a dangerous scenario. Cranes are needed for very large buildings and large construction sites. Any small mistakes could have major consequences given the sheer scale of everything involved; especially if the job deals with demolition.

Much like cutting down trees, construction demolition requires careful forethought to avoid injuries. Large amounts of debris can fall and can seriously injure, or even kill someone, if the crane operator isn’t super careful. If the crane arm knocks walls or other structures down into an uncontrolled fall, any person in the path of the debris could suffer as a result.

Scaffolding Accidents

Any construction projects that involve walking around on unfinished floors and structures several floors above ground are probably the most common source of construction injuries. Any time safety regulations aren’t followed, or people are rushed there’s a chance for a serious fall.

Without proper care, sometimes the scaffolding can give out or collapse while a construction worker is still on it, causing them to fall great distances. Unfortunately, the outcome of those falls is often grievous injury or even death.

Safety Precaution Negligence

This category is pretty all-encompassing, because there are so many different ways that construction workers can get injured, and most of the time it’s because safety precautions were not followed.

This can be cases where the crews were not wearing proper gear, such as hard hats, or were being asked to work in conditions that typical safety guidelines prohibit.

It can also mean the lack of proper signage around the construction site, poor coordination of different work being done that creates safety issues, and other similar situations.

If you’ve been Injured from a Construction Site

Generally if you are working as part of the construction crew on a job site you’ve signed employment waivers that mean you cannot sue your employer when injured. This is where Workers Compensation comes in as an immediate recourse to get you the help and financial assistance needed.

However, when there is true construction negligence at play there are circumstances when you can sue a third party other than your employer in addition to seeking Workers Comp insurance. The third party is usually the property owner, who is responsible even if your employer can’t be. In other cases, the responsible party could even be the city of New York itself. Sometimes faulty equipment can play a role, leaving the manufacturer liable.

Even though the employer can’t be sued, these other factors play a role in opening up an opportunity for someone who was seriously injured to gain all of the financial compensation they deserve as a result of their injury. Therefore, it is worth calling an experienced personal injury attorney to see if you have a case for your construction site accident.