Construction Site Accidents – When the Unthinkable Happens

It wasn’t a call you were expecting, but when you saw it was where he was working, you answered quickly and were seized with worry. The unthinkable had happened: your husband was seriously injured on the job at the construction site where he had just begun work. He had been ‘choppered’ to one of Chicago’s Level One Trauma Centers. It just dawned on you; the helicopter you overhead earlier was most likely carrying your husband. You shuddered.

Everything was a blur, and all you knew was that your husband suffered a horrible fall from a great distance and you had to get to the hospital.

Truth is, serious accidents on construction sites happen in the U.S. every day. In fact, right here in Chicago, one such accident made the headlines just last year, with multiple injuries and sadly one person dying. That is why the importance of having a construction site accident lawyer to navigate the challenges ahead cannot be understated.

If you or a loved one is a victim of one of the leading causes of construction site accidents, then you know all too well that these accidents do happen. What you may not know is your legal rights and that right here in Chicago, there is an expert legal team dedicated exclusively to supporting people who experience injury from a construction site accident.

In the Chicago and Burr Ridge area, there really is only one choice: Vinkler Law. Personal injury law is all the experts at Vinkler law have been doing for close to 40 years, and they have the results to prove they don’t back down. money, equipment, and training. The absence of any one of these can compromise the front-line worker’s safety. Vinkler Law’s construction site accident lawyers are prepared to tackle the most complex circumstances to ensure your rights as a laborer are respected and you get what is rightfully owed to you.

The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) refers to the leading causes of construction accidents as the fatal four. They are labeled fatal because every year, more than 1000 workers die from one of these accidents.

The Fatal Four include:

• Electrocutions – deaths from electrocutions happen from any number of missteps including faulty wiring, live wires not labeled appropriately or equipment that is broken.
• Falls – deaths from falling happen all too frequently from things as fixable as slippery or uneven surfaces, or even faulty scaffolding.
• Being struck by an object – construction sites are busy, noisy places. Big equipment moving to and from, sometimes at speed, on a noisy site, makes for a dangerous situation. Construction materials falling or collapsing can also result in injury or death.
• Caught in or between something on the construction site – sometimes workers find themselves between an object and equipment that is malfunctioning, with no time to extricate themselves from the danger.

Beyond what OSHA labels as the fatal four, the four most prevalent reasons for deaths caused by accidents on construction sites, there are more.

For instance, sometimes workers are required to handle toxic substances but may not be given the necessary protective gear to ensure their safety. In some instances, the workers may not even be told the substance is toxic.

Perhaps the most overlooked injuries are the silent injuries. These are the injuries workers sustain from repetitive motion without proper training, appropriate breaks, and ergonomically correct equipment to ensure the repetitive work is completed without harm to the worker.

Reader beware: Googling footage on any of these accidents is not for the faint of heart. The footage is horrifying.

How dangerous are American construction sites? According to CORFIX, a construction management safety software:

There are 1,069 fatal occupational injuries in the construction industry each year in the United States.

Construction deaths account for 19% of US worker deaths each year, the highest of any other industry.

More than 65% of construction deaths are caused by falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and caught-in/-between incidents.

Being injured is a moment of trauma, and doing your best to protect yourself at that moment in time is so important to your future well-being. Get immediate medical help. All too often, front-line workers fear retaliation if they seek medical assistance for a work-related injury. It’s your right to do so. But there’s more you need to do.

Formally report the accident to your supervisor.

Document for your personal files all pertinent details, including time of the incident, any photos you may have taken, and any observers you may have noted being there.

If requested by your employer to sign something, DECLINE.

Here’s what most front-line workers don’t realize. Though your work-related injury may be covered by workers’ compensation, a third party may still be liable. If liability is established, then as the injured party, you have the right to compensation. The construction site accident lawyers at Vinkler Law want you to reach out to them with all the relevant information.

Workers’ Comp will most likely cover medical bills and some portion of lost wages, and you are entitled to this as the injured worker. BUT if the injury you sustained is in any way the fault of the company or subcontractors, then you have been harmed doubly, and that is where the long arm of the law should step in. This is why you should call Vinkler Law. Their no-charge assessment of your injury would establish if what happened to you could have been prevented. If a company is liable for your pain and suffering or a death, you want to see justice restored, and the best legal experts to do this are the compassionate experts at Vinkler Law. By stepping up, you are not only righting a wrong for your injury, but you are also preventing the next injury.

Sadly, not every construction accident ends with survival. When a worker is fatally injured on the job, the aftermath for families is devastating, both emotionally and financially. While workers’ compensation may provide limited death benefits, those benefits are often not enough to support a grieving family long term. They typically cover only a portion of lost wages and certain basic expenses, but they do not account for the deeper losses families experience.

A wrongful death lawsuit can bridge that gap by holding negligent parties accountable. Surviving family members may seek damages for funeral and burial costs, loss of financial support, loss of companionship, and even the emotional suffering caused by the untimely death of their loved one. These types of damages are critical in helping families rebuild their lives after such a tragic event.

At Vinkler Law, wrongful death claims are handled with both compassion and determination. Our team recognizes that families need more than legal representation—they need advocates who will fight for justice while also guiding them through an incredibly painful process. With nearly four decades of experience, Vinkler Law has the expertise to pursue full accountability, ensuring that those responsible are held to task and that families receive the financial stability they deserve in the wake of unimaginable loss.

With close to 40 years of experience and success in personal injury law throughout the Chicago and Burr Ridge area, Vinkler Law knows our community and knows how best to protect your rights. Personal injury is what all the experts at Vinkler Law do. Vinkler Law is relentless in its pursuit of the truth and justice. And their results prove it. In the 30-plus years, Vinkler Law has been advocating in personal injury law cases, it has a staggering 95% success rate representing clients just like you.

Once you call, you will be glad you did. The caring experts at Vinkler Law are THE experts in personal injury. Unlike other law firms that handle a variety of legal matters, Vinkler Law devotes itself exclusively to personal injury. You will feel instantly relieved because an expert in personal injury law is listening carefully and with understanding about the injury that has rocked your world and your family’s. And, because personal injury is all Vinkler Law does, the Vinkler Law experts won’t just go for a quick settlement. They want what’s best for you, and if that means going to trial. They are ready for battle. Haven’t you been through enough? Remember: what you are doing takes courag,e and you are also protecting the next front-line laborer from the next possibly fatal accident.

Don’t wait, the first step is the easiest and best step. Call Vinkler Law’s construction site accident lawyers today; they will listen, understand, and advise. The consultation is free; you won’t get a bill, but you will begin the journey to having peace of mind that you are doing the right thing.

Call Vinkler Law today.