Las Vegas Construction Accident Attorney
The construction industry has long been a pillar of the U.S. economy, providing jobs for the millions of workers who create and improve the American infrastructure. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that close to six million workers are now employed in construction. But the hard workers whose labor contributes so much to our standard of living face a daily risk of accidents, injuries, and death. Construction is among the most dangerous of all types of job. Every year the industry reports around 150,000 accidents, which result in 1000 workplace fatalities on the average per year and innumerable injuries. In many of these cases, having an experienced construction injury lawyer working for you can be invaluable in helping you secure the benefits that will enable you to move on in the aftermath of a serious construction accident. In Las Vegas, personal injury attorney Eric H. Woods has more than thirty years of experience and success in helping accident victims recover compensation for their injuries in construction and other types of accidents.
Causes of Fatalities and Injuries on Construction Sites: “The Fatal Four” and Other Causes
Certain types of accidents are especially common in the construction industry, including four categories that have been found to be responsible for most construction work-site injuries and fatalities. Commonly known as “the fatal four,” they include:
- Falls from heights, including from ladders,, scaffolding, staging, roofs, or structural steel, comprising more than a third of all construction worker fatalities;
- Caught-in/between crush accidents, such as cave-ins, being pulled into working machinery, being crushed between two moving objects or between a moving object and a stationary one, or being crushed by hydraulic equipment;
- Being struck by a falling object, a motor vehicle, or a piece of heavy construction equipment;
- Electrocution caused by contact with live wires, live parts of tools or electrical equipment, worn or exposed wires, or defective tools or equipment; incorrect use of electric cords or extensions.
According to OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration), the “Fatal Four” are the cause of nearly three-fifths of all construction worker deaths.
Other causes of construction industry illnesses, injuries and fatalities include:
- Transportation/motor vehicle accidents
- Exposure to toxic substances: e.g. lead, asbestos, and silica
- High decibel noise exposure
- Musculoskeletal overuse
Injury Types that Commonly Occur in Construction Work
Some of the many types of injuries and illnesses commonly incurred when working in construction include:
- Spinal cord injuries, often resulting in paralysis (quadriplegia or paraplegia)
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated discs
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Burn injuries
- Internal organ damage.
- Hearing loss
- Facial injuries
- Dental injuries
- Fractured bones
- Lung disease
- Lead poisoning
- Cancers, such as mesothelioma or other cancers caused by toxic substance exposure
- Death
Who Pays the Bills?
Workers’ Compensation usually covers medical bills, lost earnings, rehabilitation costs, and a death benefit without require any proof of fault or negligence; but it prevents you from suing your employer. Another drawback is that Workers’ Comp doesn’t provide any compensation for non-economic damages: physical and emotional pain and suffering, disfigurement, disability, loss of enjoyment of life and similar damages that are difficult to assign a dollar value, but which may represent an even greater loss to the victim than the financial costs of the accident or illness.
Experienced Legal Advocacy Makes the Difference
In many construction injury cases, Las Vegas attorney Eric Woods is able to identify one or more other parties, besides your employer, who may have contributed to causing your accident, opening up the possibility of a third-party claim which can cover damages excluded from Worker’s Compensation and increase the amount you are able to recover, for example against a subcontractor, property owner, architect, engineer, or manufacturer of a defective piece of equipment.
Eric has a team of experts on call who will help investigate the cause of your injury and may uncover OSHA violations, third-party negligence, premises liability, or product liability that may add to the potential recovery for your damages. Eric is committed to justice for the injured and believes that you should be compensated for all of the damages that have devastated your life, and he has the resources to build a persuasive case to get you an amount that fully reflects what you’ve suffered.
Get Help Today
If you are a construction worker who has been injured or caused to become ill on the job, or if you are the spouse or child of a worker killed while working in construction, call the law office of Eric Woods today at (702) 737-0000 to schedule a free consultation to learn about your rights. Get the help you need today.