Arizona Construction Accident Lawyer Blog

Tucson construction accident attorneys are always concerned about auto accidents that occur at construction accident sites. These are becoming extremely common. Some accidents occur because of drivers' negligence. Other accidents occur because of lack of communication or possibly, the lack of proper training.

According to a recent news report, a construction worker who was directing traffic, was struck and killed by a gravel truck that was going to the same company where the 56-year-old victim was working. The accident occurred as the construction crew was working on a road project. The truck hit the worker while making a right turn. Witnesses told police that the victim was signaling to the driver to stop, but the driver hit the worker and then struck him again while backing up in response to reaction from witnesses. Officials say they believe that this incident was a "terrible accident." The victim and driver were not co-workers.

Continue reading " Construction Workers Injured in Accidents Can Find Certified Specialist Lawyers with Expertise in Personal Injury to Help Them Bring a Claim " »

Critical construction site accident injuries in Arizona caused by structure and scaffold collapses can be entirely prevented by following proper safety procedures and guidelines issued by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). A news report in the New Haven Independent reports about a construction worker who was pinned under a large rebar cage. The accident occurred when workers were putting up concrete supports for a new flyover. The man trapped under the rebar cage had to be rescued with a crane.

Workers had apparently put rebar supports in place before pouring the concrete. But a large rebar structure had collapsed to one side and several layers of scaffolding had fallen on top, the news report states. OSHA officials are looking into what caused this collapse. A second worker, who was standing on top of the cage when it crumpled, sustained a knee injury.

In these types of cases, it is important to ask the question: Who caused this accident and who should be held responsible for it? The worker will have his workers compensation benefits covering him to some degree. However, in cases that involve serious injuries or death, workers compensation benefits do not do justice. They are hardly enough to cover the costs of medical bills and the expenses of continuing care and treatment.

Continue reading " Arizona Personal Injury Lawyer Helps Workers Injured on Construction Sites, Including Injuries Caused by Scaffold Collapse " »

Structural collapse causes a number of Arizona construction accidents resulting in catastrophic injuries and even wrongful death. According to a news report, a roof collapsed at a school construction work site sending two workers to the hospital with injuries. The school was apparently undergoing a two-story addition and about 10 construction workers were on the job when the accident occurred. Workers were reportedly cutting the first floor. The front wall of the building basically pitched out and the roof collapsed. Both workers were carried out in stretchers. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration has been called to investigate this incident.

In cases where structural or roof collapses are involved, the most important question to ask is why it occurred. Why were workers allowed to go into the site when the roof was not secure? Did someone inspect the roof before workers went into the area? Was there any negligence on the part of the inspectors or those who were supposed to secure the roof? These are important questions to ask, the answers to which will help determine the liability in such cases.

Continue reading " Construction Workers Injured Due to Roof or Stair Collapse Are Often Entitled to Retain Arizona Personal Injury Attorneys in Addition to Workers Compensation Claims " »

A number of Phoenix construction accidents are entirely preventable. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) requires all employers, including construction companies, to institute state and federal mandated safety standard specifically in order to prevent tragic accidents that commonly occur at construction sites in Arizona and elsewhere in the nation. However, not all companies follow these safety standards. As a result, construction site accidents continue to cause injuries and claim hundreds of lives in the United States.

Whenever there is an industrial or construction accident, OSHA officials conduct an investigation to determine whether there was a violation of federal or state workplace safety standards. In fact, OSHA is currently investigating a construction site accident where a large section of concrete decking fell on top of a construction worker causing severe trauma to his head and neck. The man was working in a retirement community that was building a new apartment building.

Some of the aspects that OSHA investigators look into include where the injured worker was and what he was doing at the time of the accident, as well as what caused the particular incident to occur. Companies can be fined up to $7,000 per incident for a serious OSHA violation and up to $70,000 for willful or repeat violations. Each OSHA investigation could reportedly take between six weeks and six months.

Continue reading " Experienced Arizona Construction Injury Lawyers Help in Cases Where OSHA Investigates Fatal Construction Accidents " »

Falls are the leading cause of fatalities in the construction industry in Arizona and the rest of the country. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, an average of 362 deaths occurred as a result of falls each year from 1995 to 1999, a trend that is apparently increasing. A number of construction site falls occur because workers do not use proper harnesses as required by federal law.

Here is an example of a fatal fall at a construction site where a worker fell 125 feet and died after a tall construction lift toppled over and struck an apartment building. Investigators are looking into whether the 40-year-old construction worker was properly strapped into the bucket of the boom lift as he worked on a church roof, according to an Associated Press news report.

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's (OSHA) Web site, employees are required to ensure that when stopping a fall, "fall arrest systems" will be rigged so that the employee can neither free-fall more than 6 feet nor contact any lower level. The harnesses are required to bring a worker to a complete stop and limit maximum deceleration distance to three and a half feet. Also, the fall arresting system is required to have sufficient strength to withstand twice the potential impact energy of a worker free-falling a distance of 6 feet or the free-fall permitted by the system, whichever is less.

Continue reading " How Can a Construction Accident Worker Injured in a Fall Find a Construction Accident Lawyer? " »

A Phoenix Arizona construction site accident has injured a worker after he fell into an 8-foot deep trench. According to a Fox News report, the construction worker fell into a trench near the intersection of 7th Avenue and Buckeye in Phoenix. The man was apparently standing on top of a truck load of pipes when he lost his balance and fell into the trench. He was rushed to a local hospital with serious injuries, but his condition was later listed as "stable."

Construction site accidents occur due to a variety of reasons depending on the type of job that is being performed at the time. Defective or malfunctioning equipment, slip and fall injuries, electrocution, or injuries caused by live wires, falling objects, trench collapse, scaffold collapse or fires and explosions may all cause serious injuries in a construction accident. These accidents may occur as a result of someone else's negligence or the worker's own lack of training. Whatever the cause, construction accidents can be devastating to a worker and his family, causing life-threatening conditions, lifelong disabilities or disfigurement. These injuries could affect the worker's ability to work in the future, leaving him and his family without income or money to pay for quality medical or long-term care.

Continue reading " Phoenix Arizona Construction Site Accident Attorneys Help Injury Victims " »