Accidents in Construction Sites

Constructions sites are among the most accident-prone places. Every year thousands of workers are injured and hundreds of them are killed in construction zones. The leading cause of fatalities in constructions sites are from falls, being struck by falling or swinging objects, electrocution and caught-in/between objects. According to OSHA, 806 people were killed in construction sites in the USA in 2012. Of these, 279 died as a result of falling, 79 were struck by objects, 66 were electrocuted and 13 were caught-in/between objects.

Other common construction site accidents include fires, explosions, chemical spills, a crane collapsing, motor vehicle accidents, defective tools and machinery and defective safety equipment. The types of accidents vary according type of construction and the nature of the construction site. For example, in a building construction site, the most common accident is falling from a high distance, usually the upper floor of a building. Regardless of the type of accident, all construction site accidents are potentially fatal.

Most construction site accidents happen because the owners or contractors neglect to take adequate safety measures, such as putting up signs and markers at proper places. Although OSHA has very stringent worksite safety rules to prevent accidents, contractors often ignore the rules to cut the costs. As a result, a lot of people end up getting hurt or killed every year.

If you are injured in an accident in a construction site in Texas, you should contact Funk & Associates immediately. Funk & Associates is an Austin-based law firm with a long history of assisting people with personal injury claims. Although we don’t take on workers compensation cases, if the accident was caused by the negligence of a third party, we are here to help and advise you of your legal rights.  There is a good video on my site describing the difference between workers compensation and personal injury cases.  Call us NOW!