Many employers no doubt put the time into making sure precautionary measures are in place on construction sites. However, even in cases where workers are properly trained and the area is kept in proper working order, given the very nature of the site, no construction site can ever be 100 percent safe. Even in cases where all the rules and regulations are being followed, the unthinkable can still happen, leaving workers injured and out of work.
Take for example the recent accident in Philadelphia where two construction workers were transported to the hospital after debris from a nearby demolition site struck them. One worker was hit in the leg and the other took a hit to the head.
In this case, the director in the emergency services division of the Licenses & Inspection department said that contractor in charge of the demolition was following all the regulations prior to the accident.
In talking about this accident, luckily the injuries are described as non life-threatening. However, non-life threatening can still be rather serious -- and depending on the types of injuries -- can also be life-altering.
In general, whenever a construction worker is hurt, he or she should know there may be options. Even in cases where the nature of a claim is called into question or an employer attempts to claim the injury did not happen on the job, this does not need to be the final word. Rather, a workers' compensation attorney can look into what happened and provide an explanation of legal options that may be available.
Source: Newsworks.org, "In Philly, 2 demolition site workers hurt by debris from adjacent building," Holly Otterbein, April 29, 2014
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