A Massachusetts construction work site is often chaotic, with an extraordinarily large amount of activity going on. Even when construction companies have the best intentions to maintain a safe work place at the site, Massachusetts construction accidents on a job site still happen frequently. Massachusetts construction sites are dangerous places, with a multitude of heavy machines, constantly changing conditions, and heights that workers must ascend on a daily basis in order to perform their job duties.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for the creation and enforcement of rules and regulations surrounding Massachusetts construction sites. Massachusetts employers must make a reasonable effort to enforce these rules and regulations at all times. Massachusetts general contractors and Massachusetts subcontractors are required by law to warn Massachusetts employees of all potential hazards inherent to the site and the work to be performed and to coordinate job safety and supervise safety compliance at all times. Massachusetts construction companies must also inspect each Massachusetts work site carefully with safety engineers and make safety training programs available to all Massachusetts employees. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the job, even these federally-mandated precautions cannot prevent all accidents from occurring.
Thousands of Massachusetts construction site workers and Massachusetts bystanders are injured or killed in job site accidents each year. While the construction industry employs only six percent of the United States workforce, the industry accounts for a shocking twenty percent of workplace fatalities. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), construction site accidents account for approximately 1,150 fatal work injuries annually, the most of any industry sector. This means that on any one given day, three people are victims of wrongful death at a construction site, while many others are injured.
These statistics clearly illustrate the dangers of working at a Massachusetts construction site. Massachusetts construction site accidents occur for a variety of reasons. They can be the result of contact with dangerous equipment, falls, explosions, fires, assaults, strikes from or against foreign objects, or exposure to harmful chemicals or other hazardous substances. When a construction site accident happens, company owners, architects, insurance companies, suppliers and manufacturers can be held liable for injuries resulting from inadequate safety provisions.
Sadly, Massachusetts electrocution accidents are currently the second leading type of construction site accident resulting in wrongful death in the United States. Massachusetts electrocution accidents usually take place when a Massachusetts construction worker comes into contact with a live wire. Electrical wires may be uncovered or frayed, or the Massachusetts electrocution victim may sustain injuries from an overhead or underground power line.
Massachusetts trench accidents involve trenches that are dug as a means to access any underground area, usually for the purpose of repairing pipes or wires. Often, trench-digging requires the use of an excavator, backhoe or other heavy piece of equipment. If a Massachusetts construction site worker is untrained, he or she may improperly dig in an area with unstable soil or pavement. Frequently, Massachusetts construction companies and Massachusetts contractors may be liable for these injuries under Massachusetts construction site law in the event that the digging site is not properly assessed or the appropriate equipment is not used.
Massachusetts welding accidents generally involve malfunctioning welding equipment, including torches, tanks and masks. These work site accidents can result in skin burns, retinal tears and internal organ burns. Massachusetts scaffolding accidents involving the collapse of a scaffold commonly injure the Massachusetts construction worker who is on the scaffold when it collapses. However, Massachusetts scaffold accidents also have the potential to injure Massachusetts job site employees who are standing nearby the scaffold when it falls. These work related accidents may be the result of faulty scaffolding equipment. Often the dangers associated with scaffolds and temporary stairways at Massachusetts work sites are increased due to scattered debris and hidden holes in the construction area. There is also the danger that an unmarked ledge or wall opening can result in serious injury to a Massachusetts construction worker.
Massachusetts explosions and fire accidents are some of the most destructive accidents that occur at Massachusetts construction sites. There are a number of worksite hazards that can result in a Massachusetts explosion, such as improperly stored compressed gas cylinders. A leaky compressed gas cylinder that comes into contact with a flammable chemical has the potential to explode and cause serious injury to Massachusetts workers or nearby pedestrians. Oftentimes, poisonous gas can be odorless. Leaking poisonous gas has the potential to remain undetected and prolonged exposure to these gases can be fatal.
Some common Massachusetts construction site accident injuries include amputations, bruises, carpal tunnel syndrome, contusions, cuts, fractures, heat burns, lacerations, sprains, strains, burn injuries and tendonitis. Most of these injuries are not fatal; however, for Massachusetts construction workers who work physically demanding jobs, these injuries are always life changing problems that can lead to long term unemployment.
In Massachusetts, an injured employee cannot file a lawsuit against his or her Massachusetts employer for negligence that causes an injury at the workplace. In these cases, the only recourse for Massachusetts accident victims is to pursue a Massachusetts workers’ compensation case.
Massachusetts workers’ compensation law is organized to help injured Massachusetts workers,
as well as their employers, in dealing with medical bills and lost wages in the aftermath of a
Massachusetts accident. The Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Act (WCA) provides benefits to Massachusetts workers who are injured while on the job or suffer any other illness or ailment arising out of an injury in the course of their employment. Massachusetts workers’ compensation benefits include monetary payments based on the employee’s weekly wages for temporary and permanent disabilities as a result of their injuries. The benefits additionally cover the costs of medical bills and rehabilitation expenses which are reasonable and necessary.
Third Party Negligence in Massachusetts
Unfortunately, in the case of Massachusetts catastrophic personal injuries or Massachusetts wrongful death, Massachusetts worker’s compensation benefits alone may not be sufficient compensation. In these cases, it is appropriate to look for a third party whose negligence contributed to the Massachusetts construction site accident. Manufacturers of construction equipment are legally responsible for designing and maintaining safe products; however, this is not always the case. Defective and improperly built products may include: boilers, cranes, conveyors, derricks, forklifts, hoists, graters, bulldozers, gas detectors, power tools, scaffolding, ladders, tractors, winchers, pressure vessels and other types of construction equipment. If a Massachusetts manufacturer negligently designs, produces or distributes a defective or dangerous product, they may be liable to Massachusetts victims for any injuries caused by the product.
Additionally, it is possible to find other third parties who may be liable in the event of a Massachusetts construction site accident injury. Since most Massachusetts construction work sites involve several Massachusetts subcontractors, it's highly possible to locate more than one potential third party defendant. Claims may also be considered against the Massachusetts general contractor in the case of negligent supervision that may render them contractually responsible for the Massachusetts injury.
We Are Massachusetts Construction Site Accident Attorneys
Every Massachusetts construction site worker is entitled to a working environment that is safe and hazard-free. If that right has been denied, resulting in an injury, illness or even wrongful death, the injured party and his or her family may be entitled to a substantial monetary recovery. The Massachusetts construction accident lawyers and Massachusetts wrongful death attorneys at the Law Offices of Gilbert R. Hoy, Jr. and Affiliates are here to serve as your legal voice as you fight for the fair and just compensation that is rightfully owed to you as a result of your Massachusetts construction site injury.
If you have been injured in an accident at a Massachusetts construction site, whether you were a worker or a bystander, it is important to understand your legal rights. The best way to do this is by contacting a highly skilled Boston, MA construction site accident lawyer or Boston, MA wrongful death attorney who is experienced in Massachusetts construction site personal injury litigation. The Massachusetts statute of limitations allows only a limited amount of time in which to gather all evidence and file a Massachusetts construction accident lawsuit, so it is in your best interest to contact one of our Boston personal injury lawyers as soon as possible after the accident.
No matter how stringent the safety procedures are at a Massachusetts construction job site, devastating accidents still occur frequently. In this unfortunate event, you will benefit from the professional assistance of a Boston, Massachusetts construction site accident lawyer. Your Boston construction accident attorney at the Law Offices of Gilbert R. Hoy, Jr. and Affiliates will help you file your Massachusetts workers’ compensation case and evaluate your case to determine whether you have the right to file a Massachusetts personal injury lawsuit against a third party. Our Massachusetts construction site injury attorneys and Massachusetts personal injury attorneys will also gather all the information needed to proceed with your case, including gathering evidence and obtaining statements, as well as handle all communication with Massachusetts insurance companies on your behalf, so that you can fully focus on your recovery. Additionally, an expert Boston, Massachusetts construction accident attorney will examine the legal responsibilities of all companies and individuals who were involved in the construction project.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed in a Massachusetts construction site accident, you will greatly benefit from the expertise of one of the highly skilled Boston construction injury attorneys or Boston wrongful death attorneys at the Law Offices of Gilbert R. Hoy, Jr. and Affiliates. Our Massachusetts personal injury attorneys and Massachusetts wrongful death attorneys offer each and every one of our Massachusetts construction accident injured clients a free and confidential case evaluation. Call an expert Boston, MA construction site injury attorney today at 617-787-3700 or send us an e-mail at info@gilhoylaw.com and let us put our expertise to work for you. Your needs are our top priority!
Second, our Boston construction site accident legal advocates always provide our clients with exceptional client service. This is as important to us as the outcome of your Massachusetts construction site injury case. Our Boston construction site accident law office keeps every client fully informed of the progress of his or her construction site case. As part of this commitment, all of our construction site injury clients are copied on all correspondence from us, and we make it a priority to promptly respond to all phone calls and other inquiries from our clients. Our level of client service truly distinguishes us from other Massachusetts construction site personal injury law firms. The Boston construction site accident attorneys at our construction injury law office never act on behalf of a client without first thoroughly discussing the matter at hand with our client and jointly coming to a decision beforehand. Our construction site accident law office endeavors to represent each of our clients in such a manner that ensures that our clients receive the individualized, detailed attention that their unique construction site case deserves.
Our driving motivations of superior client relations and exceptional legal counsel make us a Boston law firm you can trust and count on to work for you.
Your needs are our top priority!
The Boston, Massachusetts Law Offices of Gilbert R. Hoy, Jr. and Affiliates is a group of Boston, MA lawyers from some of the best law offices in Massachusetts, including expert Massachusetts construction site accident injury attorneys, who have been personally selected by Attorney Gil Hoy because of their skill, experience and expertise.Many of the Boston, Massachusetts construction site accident lawyers who are available to our Massachusetts clients through referral agreements have been repeatedly selected and recognized as among the best lawyers in Massachusetts and, indeed, the country.
