Construction Liability

Construction accidents occur for a variety of reasons: unsafe working conditions, faulty equipment, lack of safety precautions or human error. The consequences of a construction accident can range from injuries that prohibit victims from earning a living to wrongful death. Thanks to the Structural Work Act in Illinois, workers that are injured on the job may sue for negligence and strict liability. If the injury results in death, their family is entitled to do so.

Workers injured in construction accidents may sue the owner, its agents and contractors for all damages sustained by virtue of the physical harm done to them. Such suits are permitted on behalf of injured workers in addition to workers’ compensation benefits they may have received.

According to 2003 numbers by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the largest number of fatal work injuries was in the construction sector with a total of 1,126 deaths. The bureau also reported that highest level of nonfatal worker injuries, as measured on a lost-workday basis, is again in the construction industry with a rate of 5.7 days per 100 workers. This is in spite of the fact that the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) has budgeted a significant portion of its resources into the publication and enforcement of safety standards on construction sites.

In Illinois and other states, special statutes were enacted to protect workers involved in construction-related accidents. These statutes exist because no matter how stringent the regulations concerning job safety, workers are at risk on a daily basis because of the inherently dangerous nature of their jobs. This is exemplified by situations involving:

* Scaffolding Accidents
* Roof related falls
* Falls from elevated work surfaces
* Workers hit by falling objects
* Trench collapses
* Electrocution
* Fire and explosions
* Machinery accidents
* Crane, forklift and vehicular accidents
* Equipment failure
* Failure to provide safety equipment
* Welding accidents
* Industrial gases