Construction Site Accidents and Liabilities
If you work on a construction site, you are well aware of the fact that there are a lot of moving parts all the time. Additionally, there are more than a few inherently hazardous conditions, from dizzying heights to sharp objects, heavy equipment to electrical exposures. Sometimes chemical or gas exposures put workers at risk; other times it’s machinery malfunction. The point is, accidents can occur any time, which can seriously injure, or even kill workers. When such a catastrophe occurs on the job, it can oftentimes be difficult to determine liability, especially when more than one contractor is on the job. When you’ve been injured, you want answers, and you want them quickly. If you find that no one is stepping up to take responsibility for your construction site accident, it’s time to enlist the help of a local personal injury attorney.
Is Safety a Priority?
So many factors contribute to a safe construction site. Likewise, a number of issues, particularly when combined, can turn the workplace into an accident waiting to happen. Research concludes that several elements in the workplace may make workers particularly vulnerable to hazards. Employer negligence can be a huge danger to employees in several contexts:
- Workplace culture: When safety is not viewed as a primary concern by supervisors and crew, small hazards become overlooked, eventually leading to more serious problems.
- Training: Half-hearted or rushed training puts people on the job who aren’t ready to be there. Honest mistakes made by poorly trained employees can have serious consequences.
- Supervision: When underlings perform without the benefit of a knowledgeable supervisor on site, shortcuts and errors can lead to danger for everyone.
- Published Policies: Employees can always claim that they didn’t know the rules when the company has failed to provide written policies.
- Hazard Mitigation: Companies who fail to clearly mark hazards or to have safety kits on site put employees at unnecessary risk.
When Negligence Factors in
Unfortunately, employer negligence in one or more areas is often a factor central to workplace accidents. Proving as much can require deft legal work, particularly when multiple contractors are involved. Your attorney will have to establish some key facts in order to prevail:
- You were owed a duty by your employer to work in a safe environment.
- That duty was breached, when your employer’s actions fell short of reasonable expectations to mitigate hazards at the workplace;
- Your injuries were a direct result of your employer’s negligence, or, in legal lingo, proximate cause is established;
- You are entitled to damages related to the physical, mental, emotional, and/or financial consequences of the accident.
Gross Negligence
In the most harrowing of cases, employers may be found guilty of gross negligence. Rather than oversight or simple negligence, purposeful decisions or actions that could reasonably be determined to result in harm might lead to charges of gross negligence.
Your Legal Battle
After a construction site accident, you don’t have to settle for Workman’s Compensation alone. If negligence or gross negligence was a factor, you may be entitled to significantly more in damages. To discuss the possibilities, contact the experienced Baltimore workplace accident attorneys at the Law Office of Hasson D. Barnes.
