While construction work is essential for practically every aspect of American personal and commercial life, it carries serious risks for employees in the construction field. Construction work is consistently rated as one of the most dangerous occupations, and within construction work, certain types of accidents tend to contribute to more fatalities than others. If someone you love has been seriously injured or killed in a Texas construction site accident, you may be able to take legal action.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Fatal Construction Accidents?

While construction sites present many potential hazards, just a few types of accidents consistently make up the majority of fatalities. These include:

  • Tripping, slipping, and falling – When employees do not have safe scaffolding, harnesses, or surfaces to walk on, they can easily trip, slip, or fall. Even falling from a first-story building can lead to fatal injuries.
  • Electrocution – Tools and equipment powered by electricity always present the potential to malfunction or be mishandled, exposing workers to dangerous electrical currents. Additionally, power lines may not be carefully monitored or supported and workers may accidentally come into contact with low or nearby lines.
  • Getting struck by an object – Heavy materials are frequently being moved around construction sites. A lack of warning signs, safety measures, and clear communication can cause employees to be accidentally hit with heavy equipment, machinery, falling loads, suspended loads, and dropped objects.
  • Crush injuries – Employees can be killed when they are crushed, caught, or pinched between two heavy objects. Sometimes this happens because workers are not appropriately trained to use heavy machinery; other times it can be because heavy objects, such as walls, are not appropriately supported and fall.

Can I Sue My Spouse’s Employer if They Died on a Construction Site?

Federal law requires employers to provide their employees with safe working conditions and to protect them from reasonable harm. Generally speaking, if someone suffers a wrongful death due to the negligent acts of an employer or third-party contractor that contributed to unsafe working conditions, survivors have a right to sue.

Sometimes, employers have workers’ compensation insurance that covers injuries and deaths that happen on the job. But not all employers offer this protection, leaving them subject to individual lawsuits.

Meet with a Dallas, TX Personal Injury Lawyer

Fatal construction accidents can leave surviving family members feeling completely lost. If you lost your husband, father, or son in a construction accident and you believe your loved one’s employer or a third party was responsible, you may be able to sue them and recover compensation for your loss. Call 469-717-6514 today to schedule a comprehensive consultation with a Fort Worth, TX wrongful death lawyer with Clark Law Group.

Source: https://www.osha.gov/fatalities