Owners and general contractors have an obligation to keep the work site safe. If there is an accident, in many cases a worker will be able to bring a claim against the owner or general contractor in addition to a workers' compensation claim. It is important to consult a firm with expertise in this area of the law to ensure that your rights are fully protected.

At Gary C. Johnson, P.S.C., we are experienced with construction site accidents of all types. We recently won a verdict on behalf of a plaintiff who was working at his job as a mining supervisor, when he was severely injured due to the faulty construction of a water tower.

We are the personal injury law firm that provides the personal service and the results that you deserve in Kentucky, West Virginia, as well as many other states. For more than 30 years, we have been serving clients who have suffered injuries as the result of another's negligence.

Thousands of construction workers are injured each year in work-related accidents. Due to the heavy machinery, equipment and materials at construction sites, construction workers are constantly exposed to dangerous work environments, and the injuries incurred in construction site accidents are sometimes extremely serious.

The law requires that construction companies ensure a reasonably safe site, develop and implement safety programs, inspect each site for safety compliance, coordinate job safety, warn of hazards related to the site and work, and prescribe the necessary protective equipment. Despite these regulations, construction site work remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States today, with the majority of injuries and fatalities associated with electrocutions and falls. Other hazards at construction sites include:

• Dangerous and defective machines,
• Crane and scaffolding accidents,
• Mechanical and chemical handling of compressed gas,
• Logging accidents, and
• Welding, cutting and brazing injuries.

Many construction accident or injury cases involve several potential third-party defendants, parties such as the owners, architects, subcontractors and equipment manufacturers, all of whom may bear responsibility for your injuries. Third-party negligence is the legal term to assign liability for insufficient safety provisions or negligence to others. Construction equipment makers may also be found negligent if injuries are caused by the defective design and manufacture of their products ranging from power tools to scaffolding to heavy equipment.

Ensuring Worker Safety

Construction companies are required by law to inspect each worksite to ensure worker safety. The contractor and all subcontractors must provide a reasonably safe work environment as well as warn workers of hazards that are inherent in the site and nature of the work. They must also take reasonably adequate steps to hire careful employees, coordinate job safety and supervise compliance with safety specifications.

Construction equipment manufacturers also have a responsibility to design and maintain safe products intended for use at the work site. This responsibility includes preventing the use of defective or unreasonably dangerous products, such as, but not limited to, scaffolding, power tools, cranes, derricks, hoists, conveyors, woodworking tools, ladders, winches, trucks, graters, scrapers, tractors, bulldozers, forklifts, boilers, pressure vessels and gas detectors.

If you have a question about a construction site accident, please contact the law offices of Gary C. Johnson, P.S.C., for assistance and advice. Our firm works for injured people and their families. The law firm you choose does make a difference. We offer a free initial consultation to discuss your case, and we will always give you our honest opinion about your case in light of the facts, case law, and our experience with similar personal injury construction accident cases. Call us today at (800) 337-4002, or use our online contact form.