Houston Construction Accident Lawyers

Construction is a hazardous industry, involving a wide range of activities that may expose workers to serious risks. According to the United States Department of Labor, construction accidents lead all other industries in worker deaths. In 2017, there were 4,674 worker fatalities in private industry, 971 of which were in the construction industry. That breaks down to more than one in five worker fatalities being in the construction field.

If you or a loved one was injured in a construction site accident, contact an experienced Houston construction accident attorney to discuss your case. Attorney Tom can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages due to your injuries. Contact us online or call (713) 244-6363 for a free consultation.

Why You Need a Construction Accident Lawyer

Construction accident litigation is complicated. There are several different parties who can possess some liability for your accident. An experienced attorney can discover who exactly failed to follow industrial safety standards and regulations of compliance.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) specifies regulations for construction sites that apply in most states. They require construction employers to provide a work environment free from recognized hazards, ensure that employees are provided with and use proper safety equipment, and comply with all industry safety standards.

A knowledgeable construction accident attorney understands what regulations and standards your company is required to adhere to. If they fail to do so, they could be held liable for your injuries. Hiring a skilled attorney to go up against construction and insurance companies is the best way to ensure that you win the maximum compensation that you deserve for injuries suffered due to someone else’s negligence.

Who Is Liable for Construction Accident Injuries?

Workers’ compensation insurance companies generally cover workplace injuries. However, various other parties who have different duties and legal responsibilities to the worker may be held liable for the on-site injury. The parties who may be held responsible include:

• Construction Site Owners: The site owner may be liable for any injury caused by a potentially harmful condition on the premises that they knew or should have known about.
• General Contractors and Subcontractors: The general contractor and subcontractor have a legal duty to provide a reasonably safe construction site. They must warn of any defects or hazards and comply with all applicable safety regulations.
• Prime Contractors: A prime contractor is only responsible for the work identified in his prime contract. They share the same responsibilities as general contractors regarding their specific projects.
• Architects and Engineers: The architect or engineer are held to accepted standards in performing their specific fields. They may be under contractual duties to the site owner, which may include progress observation to ensure compliance with specifications or site inspection to ensure compliance with code regulations.
• Construction Equipment Manufacturers: Manufacturers may be held liable for the design or manufacturing of a defective or faulty product.
• Insurers: Insurance companies may incur the costs of a legal claim or lawsuit associated with a construction accident of the companies that they insure.

Consult with Attorney Tom‘s knowledgeable construction accident lawyers to investigate the circumstances of your accident to determine liability, then hold those parties fully accountable for compensating you for your injuries.

Frequently Violated OSHA Standards

A responsible construction worker understands and is trained in the potential hazards of each work site, takes proper precautions, wears the right safety equipment, and never takes unnecessary risks that violate site safety protocols.

However, other workers, supervisors, or company policies may fail to follow safety protocols. The following were OSHA’s top 10 most frequently cited standards in 2018:

• Fall protection
• Hazard communication standard
• Scaffolding, general requirements
• Respiratory protection
• Control of hazardous energy
• Ladders
• Powered industrial trucks
• Machinery and Machine Guarding
• Eye and Face Protection

Construction companies and their supervisors have a responsibility to keep their employees safe, and construction employees are protected by state and federal workplace safety rules and regulations. The team with Attorney Tom understands these standards and will fight to make sure that the rights of injured construction workers are protected.

Construction accidents can happen to non-workers as well, such as when a pedestrian or driver travels through a construction zone. The construction company has a responsibility to provide proper warnings and barriers around hazardous areas. Workers could also be careless, and falling objects, crane accidents, or faulty wiring can cause serious accidents. Each case is unique, and determining the exact cause of an injury can be complicated.

If you have been injured at a construction site, call the compassionate and skilled attorneys of The Kherkher Law Firm to discuss your case. We have experience successfully handling a wide variety of construction zone accidents.

Types of Construction Accidents

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) names four leading causes of private sector worker deaths. Outside of highway collisions, these “Fatal Four” were responsible for more than half (59.9%) the construction worker deaths in 2017. The BLS stresses that eliminating the Fatal Four would save 582 workers’ lives in the United States every year. They documented the following statistics from 2017, indicating the number of each type of death out of 971 total deaths in construction:

• Falls – 381 (39.2%) Construction workers are at risk of falling from rooftops, scaffolding and other great heights, resulting in serious injury, as well as death.
• Struck by Object – 80 (8.2%) Working around heavy equipment makes the risk of being struck by an object much more dangerous.
• Electrocutions – 71 (7.3%) Injuries from electrocutions include burns and nerve damage resulting from electric shocks.
• Caught-in/between – 50 (5.1%) This includes construction workers who are caught-in or compressed by equipment or objects or crushed in a collapsing structure, equipment, or material.

Other common types of construction accidents include chemical spills, gas explosions, crane accidents, defective equipment accidents, and falling materials, such as rock or brick. These accidents present a significant risk to on-site construction workers. Injuries from these types of events can be severe, often leaving the victim with a permanent disability or the inability to earn future wages.

If a construction company or its supervisors failed to take proper care in providing a safe working environment for you or your loved one, then consult with our firm’s trained construction accident attorneys who have experience winning compensation for injured workers and their families.

Construction Accident Statistics

The BLS reports an average of 150,000 reported construction site accidents yearly. They have also documented the following alarming statistics:

• One in 10 construction site workers will be injured each year.
• The majority of injuries to construction workers affect their back or spine.
• The most frequently injured demographic of workers is between the ages of 25 and 34.
• It is estimated that 15% of the costs of workers compensation will cover those who were injured on a construction site.

If you were hurt in a construction accident, contact Attorney Tom for help. We can assist injured workers with getting the workers’ compensation benefits they’re owed, and we will be here to seek additional compensation if a third-party’s negligence caused you harm.

Why Choose Us?

Our attorneys understand how dangerous the construction industry is, and we are committed to fighting for the rights of injured workers. Our experienced construction accident attorneys will take on the legal burden while you recover from your injuries.

We believe that if you were injured at a construction site, you shouldn’t have to carry the financial burden of your injuries. We will work with your state’s workers’ compensation system to file a claim or pursue a lawsuit in court. We have experience with complicated and serious construction accident cases and can advise you of the best course of action. Our team of compassionate attorneys will answer all your questions and walk you through the legal process of recovery.

Attorney Tom has the resources to thoroughly investigate your claim, consulting with experts in the field, to determine whether there was negligence and who is responsible for the construction accident that caused your injuries.

Our skilled attorneys will handle all communication with the insurance companies and their representatives and work aggressively to negotiate the maximum possible settlement. If necessary, and if your state permits, a personal injury case can be litigated through the courts. We are committed to representing injured workers and their families. We won’t quit until you receive the maximum compensation and justice that your family deserves.

Contact Us

Our experienced Houston construction accident lawyers are available to answer your questions and consult with you at any time. If you have been injured while working at a construction site, don’t wait to begin discussing your case. There are deadlines for filing claims, and getting your investigation underway immediately gives you more time to build a case to win the maximum compensation for your injuries.

Call Attorney Tom today for a free and confidential consultation with our knowledgeable construction accident attorneys today. We work on a contingency fee basis, so there’s no risk or cost to hire us. We only get paid if we secure compensation for you. Contact us at (713) 244-6363 to learn more.