Construction Site Falls and Why Getting the Right Lawyer Matters
When people think of skyscrapers they usually think of New York but in fact, the skyscraper was invented in Chicago, and it was the first skyline to be studded with buildings stretching to the clouds. One of Chicago’s skyscrapers reaches 442 miles from the ground to the sky.
A drive today along Chicago’s Lake Shore Drive shows busy construction activity virtually all along the drive and one thing is clear, architects continue their infatuation with skyscrapers. They may look spectacular and make us marvel but there is a cautionary note. Construction work at such stunning heights can be very dangerous. This blog will help you to understand the complexities of a construction site falls, your rights and what you should do to protect your rights should you or a loved one be the victim of a construction site fall and detail why getting expert legal counsel is essential should you be the victim of a construction site fall. The good news is there is a local team of legal experts who focus exclusively on personal injury law right here in the Chicago, Vinkler Law, with a 95% success rate advocating for their clients.
Construction Site Falls #1 Cause of Death
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that slips, trips and falls from an elevation are the number one cause of construction site deaths in the U.S. With 856 deaths from falls in 2022 that works out to close to two deaths a day from a fall from an elevated height. It’s so serious that the OSHA launched a major campaign with the National Safety Council – Stand Down to Prevent Falls – to ensure that and all parties working on elevated construction sites are properly trained on the core safety protocols working on elevated construction sites.
The majority of construction workers who die from an accident die from falls from an elevation but those who are injured usually face serious long-term injuries including spinal cord injuries that can result in paralysis, traumatic brain injury and concussions that may result in long-lasting cognitive impairments; broken bones that can result in amputations and joint injuries. It is important to understand that many of these injuries are life-long and will inform every facet of your world from your personal and family life to your day-to-day work life. Injuries such as this may impair your capacity to care for yourself and your loved ones financially for the rest of your life.
Rails and other protective structures routinely examined to ensure that they are functioning properly. There are falls prompted by trips or slips; falls triggered by weather conditions including high winds, rain, sleet or snow – weather conditions that most likely would not be conducive to the safety of construction crew. Construction falls also originate from ladders, scaffolds, girders, steel structures or floor openings.
Tracing the Root Cause: Finding the Liable Parties in a Construction Accident
Falls from construction sites are complex because there are so many variables influencing the activity. When a fall is traced to equipment that malfunctioned the equipment may have been leased by a subcontractor which shifts the liability from the contractor to the company leasing the equipment and possibly even the manufacturer of the equipment. Working on scaffolding that takes you literally miles high from the ground requires intensive training. If the crew was not adequately trained liability may shift to the general contractor. Or if the contractor ordered work in questionable weather that too could be a variable. If the fall is related to the scaffolding, there are a variety of factors that have to be assessed. Was the scaffolding assembled properly and is the foundation the scaffold is situated upon stable and level? Is foundation area checked after inclement weather to ensure the foundation remained stable? Do the construction crew have all the necessary harnesses and are harnesses and other worn equipment checked regularly to ensure they are working properly? Are the scaffold’s protective structures like toeboards and guardrails securely in place? Are they toeboards, guardrails and other protective structures routinely examined to ensure they are functioning properly? All it takes is one missing toeboard or guardrail for a fall to happen. Are all the mounting and access gates where they need to be and secure?
How the Experts at Vinkler Law Can Help
The experts at Vinkler Law do one thing and one thing only – personal injury – and this focus has helped to make them the best at what they do. Their compassion is shaped from years of fighting for people like yourself to get what you are due. I think you can see now that determining the root cause of a construction site fall is a complex matter. Liable parties can include the general contractors, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers and even property owners. Determining the root cause of the fall and the liable party or parties requires legal expertise you can trust. It also requires a legal firm with the experience with complex cases and the expertise to research the various components of the moment of the fall. This process takes careful research, review, asking the right questions to the people who are relevant to the accident and collecting all the necessary documentation including medical documentation and sometimes even reaching out to psychologists to assess the level of trauma and distress the fall victim endured. Vinkler Law’s success rate is unmatched in the areas with more than a 95% success rate taking on big companies and advocating for people just like you.
If You are the Victim of a Construction Site Fall, What Should You Do?
If you survive a fall and are lucid there are things you want to be sure you do. Always report any accident to the supervisor, foreperson or site leader immediately after the fall. If you can document, document, document. Use your cell phone to take images of everything surrounding you at the site of impact including the people standing around you. Insist on medical treatment. If an ambulance has not been called, request one. If you are concussed, you may not know it, and immediate medical intervention is the best course of action after a fall. If you feel foolish that you have fallen, resist the urge to admit fault or say it was something you did. Do not comment on what happened or how it happened. This is important: do not post about your accident on social media and be sure that your spouse, partner, friends or children also stay off social media to share details about the incident, how you are feeling about it or how it happened. Remember: anything you or your loved ones post on social about the accident may be used as evidence.
Why Vinkler Law?
If you or a loved one has suffered from a fall on a construction site there really is only one course of action you should consider. Reach out to the local legal experts right here in the Chicago area, Vinkler Law. When you consider the long-term losses you will sustain from the fall, the trauma you experienced from the fall and how the fall will impact your earning power, don’t you want to be sure you are working with the best? For cases such as this, Vinkler Law has secured damages that have covered medical expenses, lost wages, pain and suffering, emotional distress and when it applied permanent disability or disfigurement. With close to 40 years working exclusively for the rights of people just like you. With Vinkler Law’s laser focus and a success rate of more than 95% for their clients, there is no better resource for you or your loved ones. The process couldn’t be simpler, a call to Vinkler Law is easy and their legal experts will listen, gather the facts and details at no charge to you to determine what steps need to be taken. One phone call begins your journey to peace of mind. Don’t hesitate, call Vinkler Law today.
