February 19, 2016- Portsmouth, VA
News Channel 3 reports that a construction worker was injured on a job site Thursday morning, while the worker was 25 feet in the air on scaffolding. The worker was injured when construction materials fell and hit him, knocking him unconscious.
Fire crews rescued the worker from the scaffolding using a fire truck ladder, after which the worker was transported to Sentara Norfolk General Hospital for treatment.
The worker was part of a crew tasked with constructing a new four story apartment complex at Washington Street and Country Street in the downtown area.
According to the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, an estimated 2.3 million construction workers (65 percent of the construction industry) work on scaffolds. In a recent Bureau of Labor Statistics study, 72 percent of workers injured in scaffold accidents attributed the accident either to the planking or support giving way, or to the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.
When construction workers are injured on the job, obtaining workers’ compensation benefits can be particularly complex. That is because construction sites typically involve several different companies – contractors, subcontractors, engineers, safety consultants, foreman, heavy machinery rental/maintenance companies, etc. – all of whom may have a potential duty to maintain a safe worksite.
More often than not, all of these various parties will attempt to blame one another for causing the accident to avoid liability. If you or a loved one is injured in a construction accident, all the experienced Virginia workers’ compensation attorneys at ReidGoodwin today to schedule a legal evaluation.