The dangers of construction work
The recent deaths of three construction workers highlight the everyday risk of working in a sector where industrial accidents are far too common.
Construction workers represented 1 out of every 5 private industry workplace-related deaths in 2019. This means that of the 5,333 people who died on the job, more than 1,060 were construction workers, according to the U.S. Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA).
Working in construction is one of the top 25 most-deadly jobs in the U.S., and New Englanders were recently reminded of this most tragically.
In March, a Connecticut construction worker was killed in Cambridge when a parking garage stairwell collapsed on him. In February, two people working at a construction site in downtown Boston died after being struck by a truck.
Working construction comes with risk
Every day, construction workers face a multitude of serious risks including falls from heights, exposure to toxins, welding mishaps, crane accidents, tunnel worker silicosis, work-related car accidents, electrocution, asbestos exposure, and getting hit by falling objects.
The most common type of workplace danger for construction workers is accidental contact with equipment, falls, slips and trips, and overexertion of the body, according to the National Safety Council (NSC).
The most common injuries contractors suffer are sprains, strains, tears, soreness, fractures, cuts, punctures, and contusions.
When industrial accidents are fatal to construction workers, the tragic event most likely involved a mode of transportation, harmful substances, or accidental contact with an object or equipment. Construction workers most likely to be injured, fatally or non-fatally, are those who work on extraction, the NSC said.
What happens to injured construction workers?
Construction workers who are injured on the job or come down with a work-related illness that results in at least five days of missed work time may file for workers’ compensation benefits.
When a significant injury happens, the employer is tasked with reporting it to the state, their insurance company, and the injured worker. Once the insurance company receives the claim they have a set amount of time to investigate it and determine whether or not workers’ compensation benefits will be awarded.
Get the help you need from a law firm focused on service
About half of all workers’ compensation claims are denied, according to the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents (DIA).
If your claim was denied, it’s time to get a lawyer – advice with which even the Massachusetts government agrees.
“If your claim is disputed, it is strongly advised that you seek legal counsel to protect your rights and interests, due to the complexity of the workers’ compensation law,” the DIA says in its injured workers guide to workers’ compensation benefits. The law requires that the insurer pay the attorney’s fee if you win your case.
“You may represent yourself for any proceedings before the DIA. This is not recommended in most cases,” the DIA said.
If you or a family member has been significantly injured on the job, it is important to contact a lawyer to learn more about your rights. You may be entitled to receive benefits for all your reasonable and necessary medical costs, as well as wage benefits.
For more than 30 years, the Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl (DGK) has helped thousands of injured clients in Massachusetts and Rhode Island get the workers’ compensation benefits they deserve. It’s important to have a tough lawyer who won’t back down when insurance companies attempt to lowball recovery awards or flat out deny legitimate workers’ compensation claims.
The lawyers at DGK are dedicated to winning workers’ compensation cases because each member of the team has, at one time or another, had a loved one on workers’ compensation. Our attorneys understand state labor laws and how necessary workers’ compensation benefits are when a family is reeling from a traumatic workplace injury or death.
The Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl has locations in Fall River and Foxborough, Massachusetts, as well as Providence, Rhode Island.
If you’re ready to file a claim, have questions, or need to file a workers’ compensation appeal, contact us today for a free case evaluation.