Injured by a Falling Object? Speak with a Cook County Construction Accident Lawyer.
Among the many hazards construction workers face on the job site is being hit by falling objects. Construction materials, tools, and even heavy equipment can fall a few feet, or several stories, onto these unsuspecting workers often resulting in head trauma, crush injuries, and other life-threatening wounds. Though there are minimum safety standards employers and contractors must adhere to on construction sites – i.e., catch platforms at every level above the second story on multi-floor buildings – they are not always observed. If it can be proven that negligence caused your injuries, you may have the basis for a claim. A Cook County construction accident lawyer can help you determine your next steps.
There are many different scenarios in which this type of mishap may occur at a road or building construction site, including:
- A crane operator mistakenly drops the payload.
- Building demolition causes falling debris.
- Insufficient safety barricades at any height.
- Failing to inspect equipment that gives way under load stress.
- Failing to secure tools and other equipment, and then a worker accidentally drops something while working at height.
These are only a few of the many examples of falling object accidents that strike unwary construction workers. The type and extent of the injuries depend on the size and weight of the object, as well as how far it fell. Heavy objects such as rebar, sheet metal, pre-fab concrete and power tools are just some examples of falling objects that could cause serious trauma, maybe even to several workers at a time. Small objects, such as a bolt or nail, can claim the life of a worker if it falls from many stories above the victim, even if he or she wears a hard hat.
How Injured Workers Receive Compensation from Falling Object Injuries
A victim of falling objects at a construction site usually seeks workers’ compensation benefits first (medical bills, some lost wages and limited disability). But this “no-fault” insurance rarely pays the full monetary value of an injury claim and pays nothing for pain and suffering. If another party that is not your employer caused the accident, you could file a claim or lawsuit against this negligent third party for full monetary damages that include:
- Full medical and disability expenses, even if the disability is permanent
- All lost wages (and benefit values received in addition to the wages)
- Pain and suffering
- Survivors, if the accident led to the wrongful death of a family member, can receive additional damages plus those listed above.
Third parties could include other contractors (and the employee who caused the accident), the manufacturers and distributors of the equipment or material that caused the injury, the general contractor and – depending on the facts of the case – even the property owner. Buttafuoco and Associates’ experienced Cook County construction accident lawyers investigate every aspect of the accident to identify any and all liable parties.
If you suffered injury from a falling object at a construction site, or a family member was killed in a similar mishap, Buttafuoco and Associates’ experienced construction injury attorneys offer a free consultation. Contact us anytime by calling 1-800-HURT-NOW or fill out our online case form.
