Phoenix Construction Accidents Decline with Economic Slowdown
Construction accidents in Phoenix, Arizona and around the country are down. However, that is because construction activity is down, according to an article in the Phoenix Business Journal. Employment in the construction industry fell in July in 34 states and Washington D.C. Since July 2008, construction fell to some extent in every state except Louisiana, North Dakota and Mississippi. Arizona is apparently the hardest hit state in the country with construction employment that has declined 28 percent from a year ago. Nevada, Connecticut and Kentucky were right behind Arizona.
According to a 10-year analysis recently conducted by the Associated General Contractors, national construction fatality rates went down 47 percent and recordable safety incidents dropped 38 percent since the "collaborative safety approach" was initiated in 1998. That federal construction safety program was successful because it created incentives for companies to find and rectify safety problems proactively before incidents occurred. It also slapped strong penalties on companies that were lax about safety problems until someone got hurt or killed.
This lull in construction site accidents, experts say, unfortunately may be expected to go back up once construction activity goes back up. It is important for our federal and state governments to come up with creative solutions to prevent construction accidents. A combination of new safety programs combined with stringent enforcement will help reduce construction site tragedies that can be avoided.
If you have been injured in a Phoenix Arizona construction accident, or if you have lost a family member in a construction accident, please contact a skilled personal injury attorney at Breyer Law Offices P.C. to find out more information about your legal rights and options. As a leading firm of Arizona construction accident attorneys, Breyer Law has helped many Arizona families obtain fair compensation to cover medical expenses, cost of medication, long-term care, loss of wages and cope with other challenges a construction accident can present to victims and their families.
Source article: http://www.bizjournals.com/phoenix/stories/2009/08/24/daily27.html?ana=from_rss
