Fatal Construction Site Accident in Miami Highlights Industry Dangers
On November 2nd, a construction site accident that occurred here in Florida killed one bystander and injured five others when scaffolding fell from the top floor of a condominium that was under construction. The man who died was a bystander who suffered from cardiac arrest as he was running from falling debris. As a result, the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has now opened an investigation into the accident.
According to city officials, at the time of the accident, construction workers were loading and unloading equipment onto the platform that fell using a crane, most likely resulting in the structure taking on too much weight or falling after becoming stressed. Unfortunately, accidents like these are all too common at construction sites.
Violations & Preventable accidents
According to OSHA, one in five worker deaths are in construction alone, most frequently due to falls, electrocution, being struck by an object, or being caught between two objects. These issues alone were responsible for over 60 percent of all construction worker deaths in 2014, meaning that if the construction companies and others responsible for worker safety—such as the landowner, engineers, contractors, managers, equipment suppliers, etc.–focused on eliminating these specific issues, hundreds of workers’ lives would be saved every year.
Many times, these accidents and injuries are directly linked to companies violating OSHA standards. According to OSHA, the top ten most frequently violated standards included those involving:
- Fall protection;
- Hazard communication;
- Scaffolding;
- Respiratory protection;
- Hazardous energy control;
- Industrial trucks;
- Ladders;
- Electrical wiring & systems design; and
- Machinery.
Some of the most common injuries suffered on construction sites include amputation of fingers or toes, burns from fires or electrocutions, broken bones, cuts from machinery, overexertion-related injuries such as muscle or joint damage, exposure to lead, asbestos, and other toxic materials, loss of hearing, and respiratory issues. If an accident and injury occurs due to an OSHA violation, many times, the party or parties responsible are automatically held liable for that injury without the injured party first having to prove that there was negligence.
Fort Lauderdale Construction Injury Lawyer
If you have suffered an injury in a construction accident, we can help. If you’ve been hurt on the job you are eligible to receive workers’ compensation while you recover. In addition, those injured near construction sites aren’t always those who work on them; innocent bystanders are injured every day as a result of someone else’s negligence on these sites. Regardless of how you were injured, the first step is to meet with an experienced construction site accident lawyer who works to obtain justice for injured plaintiffs to discuss your options.
The Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyers at Friedland & Associates have been helping personal injury victims injured on construction sites for years. Many of these accidents are preventable, and due to someone else failing to follow the law. We will fight aggressively for your rights and ensure that justice is done. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Resource:
miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/brickell/article109378932.html
