Patchogue Construction Accident Lawyer

When it comes to workplace injuries, construction work kills and injures more people than many other occupations. As per the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there were over 5,000 work-related deaths in the United States in 2018–this translates to over 14 deaths every single day. If you were injured or lost a loved one in a construction accident, contact Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. at (631) 451-7900. Our construction accident lawyer serving Patchogue may be able to assist with your case.

Understanding Construction Accidents

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported roughly 200,000 construction site accidents of all types in 2018. About 40% of these accidents led to missed work due to injury. The productivity losses, income losses, medical care expenses, and insurance overheads of workplace accidents are significant, and a single construction injury can seriously affect your ability to provide for your family and maintain your financial stability.

OSHA has identified slips and falls, electrocution, machine accidents, and accidents involving objects or materials as the leading causes of workplace fatalities and injuries. Construction site accidents can also involve chemical or thermal burns, suffocation, motor vehicle collisions, and machine or machine guarding issues.

Common causes of such accidents are outlined below.

• Poor worker training
• Poor machine or vehicle maintenance
• Inadequate lighting
• Inadequate safety measures
• Faulty warning systems
• Faulty equipment such as worn brakes or damaged hoists
• A lack of machine guarding
• Energy lockout accidents such as electrocution
• Improper packaging or labeling
• Unclear operating or usage instructions
• Inadequate protective gear
• Poor product design
• Poor workplace planning

The type of accident you suffered—and who was responsible for causing it—are important components of any third-party personal injury claim. In the sections below, we discuss the various damages you can suffer in a construction accident and how fault and liability are determined for different cases.

Construction Accident Injuries

You can sustain anything from a minor cut or abrasion to life-threatening organ damage, paralysis, amputation, and even death in a construction accident. The injuries listed below are highly common in construction settings:

• Traumatic Brain Injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal Cord Injuries (SCIs)
• Neck and back injuries
• Nerve and muscle injuries or strains
• Deep lacerations or puncture wounds
• Amputations
• Eye, ear, or dental injuries
• Irritation of the respiratory tract
• Thermal and chemical burns
• Broken, crushed, or fractured bones or body parts
• Varying degrees of paralysis
• Restricted range of motion
• An inability to work
• Death or total incapacitation

If you or a loved one suffered these or similar injuries in a construction setting, contact the construction accident lawyer serving Patchogue with Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. for legal guidance regarding your case. You can reach a member of our team at (631) 451-7900.

Fault and Liability

You can sue for damages to recover losses that are not covered by your personal injury or workplace accident policies. For example, pain and suffering are not included in basic coverage, and you can sue a responsible third party for such damages.

To file a lawsuit for these and similar damages, you must determine who or what caused your accident. If you can connect the dangerous, reckless, careless, or incompetent actions of someone to your accident and prove that those actions caused your accident and the damages you suffered therein, you can file a lawsuit against such parties.

Before doing so, you must evaluate your damages using, for example, proof of lost income or medical treatment expenses. You must also gather evidence to establish the fault of the at-fault party.

There are many ways you can do this. For example, a construction site owner or operator may be guilty of ignoring OSHA Standard §1926.501, which outlines slip and fall safety guidelines for workplaces, while OSHA Standard §1926.26 contains lighting standards. Other important laws are sections 240 and 241, New York Labor Law (LAB) §240 that provide clear guidelines on how, when, and where scaffolding is to be used and how falls are to be prevented in workplace settings.

A failure to meet these and other applicable rules or standards can leave an employer, a worksite owner, a construction site operator, a supervisor, or other at-fault parties liable for your damages. You can use all applicable rules, laws, and standards to prove the negligence of an at-fault party based on the type of accident you suffered. These rules and standards cover the accident types outlined above as well as machine accidents, vehicle accidents, tunneling accidents, and more.

Contact Us for Legal Assistance

After a construction accident, you may be unable to work for an extended period, and gathering evidence and dealing with insurers, employers, and others can be very difficult in such a state. This is where we can help. Contact Rosenberg & Gluck, L.L.P. today at (631) 451-7900 for assistance with your case. Our construction accident lawyer serving Patchogue can help you:

• Identify the at-fault party
• Gather proof and evidence to substantiate your claims
• Identify any compensable damages you may be entitled to
• File a lawsuit within the applicable statutes of limitations
• Negotiate with the at-fault party’s insurer on your behalf

Our empathetic team understands how serious workplace accidents can be and what you must be going through after suffering an accident or losing a loved one in an accident, so call us today for a free consultation. We provide services in Spanish as well, so do not hesitate to reach out to us today.