Workers’ Compensation For Construction Workers
The construction industry is vital to our economy and touches every aspect of our lives, yet it is also one of the most dangerous industries one can work in. Of the 4,674 fatal workplace accidents occurring in US private industry in 2017, 971 were in construction. That means that more than one in five worker deaths occurred in construction. The numbers are similar in California, where construction accidents accounted for 71 out of 376 worker deaths in 2017. Employment in the construction industry is expected to grow for the next several years, so we are unfortunately likely to see construction accidents in even greater numbers. If you are a construction worker hurt on the job in Orange County or the Inland Empire, a California workers’ compensation attorney at Invictus Law, P.C. can help you get the medical care and wage loss benefits you are entitled to.
Helping victims of the most common construction accidents in California
In California and nationwide, certain types of construction accidents typically happen in far greater numbers than others. In fact, over half of all construction accidents can be grouped into four categories, dubbed the “fatal four” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These categories are:
Falls – including ladder falls, scaffold collapses, and falls from heights in unfinished buildings. Workers on heights should be provided with harnesses, belts, nets and other equipment as appropriate. Fall accidents far outpace all other types of construction accidents in California.
Struck by Object – including falling objects and swinging booms from cranes. All workers on an active site should be instructed to wear hard hats and provided with appropriate safety-rated equipment. Boom operators and others working around equipment should be trained on proper safety practices.
Electrocution – including contact with underground or overhead power lines, ungrounded electrical equipment, and overloaded extension cords. Equipment should be grounded and workers provided with ground-fault protection.
Caught in/between – including trench collapses and excavation cave-ins, and forklift and crane accidents. Back-up alarms capable of being heard on a noisy construction site should be installed on forklifts, and workers should be trained on safety when working on or near such equipment. Trenching and excavation must be done in compliance with standards for shoring and ventilation to prevent collapses, asphyxiation or explosions.
The fatal four don’t just cause worker deaths but are also leading causes of injury on construction sites, along with other sources such as toxic exposure or injury from defective power tools, equipment and machinery.
Our California workers’ compensation attorney will help you get benefits after a construction accident injury
As a no-fault system, California workers’ compensation benefits should be available to you after a construction accident, regardless of who was at fault or how the accident happened. However, construction companies and their insurers don’t like having large payouts on their record, and they’ll try to find ways to challenge your claim and deny you benefits or pay you less than you really need. At Invictus Law, P.C., we’ll help make sure important deadlines are not missed and that the proper documentation is provided for a successful workers’ comp claim. In the event of a denial or disagreement with your employer or their insurance carrier, we’ll intervene on your behalf and work to resolve your dispute with the knowledge and skill of an experienced California workers’ compensation lawyer who has helped numerous injured workers like yourself get the care and compensation they need after a construction accident has left them disabled from working and with expensive medical bills.
After a construction accident injury in Orange County or Inland Empire, Call Invictus Law, P.C. at our offices in Orange or Ontario 949-287-5711 or 888-9WORKLAW for a free consultation with an experienced and dedicated California workers’ compensation attorney. You’ll only pay a fee if we recover benefits for you.
