The Severity of Construction Accidents for Workers
Construction work can be dangerous, and many state and federal laws are designed to protect construction worker welfare on-the-job. For example, tunnel construction work is governed by OSHA standard 1926.800. Labor laws, in general, are governed by Article 7 of New York’s Labor Laws, and New York Labor Law (LAB) §240 on scaffolding applies to construction, demolition, and repair work.
These statutes and laws have been passed to ensure that worker safety is guarded and that there are adequate safeguards to protect workers from construction site accidents. For example, the statutes above outline where and how many construction site entryways and exits are required for a project of a given size, what kinds of employee training are needed for different kinds of work, how to monitor workplace hazards, and what types of personal protective equipment is needed for jobs of different types.
Unfortunately, despite all of these rules, accidents such as those outlined above are all still too common. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) estimates that 200,000 construction-related injuries were reported in 2018. Almost 80,000 of these resulted in lost work-days, and the estimated cost of these accidents in terms of lost productivity, lost worker income, medical treatment costs, and insurance administration is estimated to cost society about $70 billion every year.
Common injuries that occur on construction sites include:
- Head, face, neck, back, and spinal cord injuries
- Damage to internal organs, and internal bleeding
- Crushed, broken, and fractured bones
- Muscle, connective tissue, nerve, tendon, and ligament injuries
- Respiratory illnesses
- Injury from toxic chemical exposure
- Bruises, burns, cuts, and lacerations
- Blindness, dental injuries, and hearing injuries
- Total or partial paralysis
- Amputations
- Death
A construction accident lawyer servicing Huntington with Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. can help you handle legal claims involving these and other types of construction injuries. Call our legal team at (631) 451-7900 to learn more about how we may be able to assist you.