Take a drive around the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, and you will see a variety of scaffolding in use on construction projects, both big and small. Scaffolding is a temporary structure, normally set up outside of a building, which is usually made of wood or metal poles. Workers use scaffolding in a variety of ways, including during building, repairing, or even cleaning a building. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) estimates that 65% of construction workers use scaffolding in their daily occupations. As such, OSHA strictly regulates the installation and maintenance of scaffolding in order to prevent catastrophic and deadly injuries to construction workers.
It is estimated that nearly 10,000 workers are injured in scaffolding accidents each and every year, and 72% of those accidents are caused by support structures giving way, construction workers slipping, or workers being struck by a falling debris or objects. OSHA believes that up to 50% of these accidents could be prevented.
Unfortunately, scaffolding accidents are still extremely common on construction sites. Some of the most common accidents involve improper installation of scaffolding or the improper use of scaffolding. In such circumstances, the scaffolding can collapse, causing serious injuries to those construction workers on the scaffold and other workers who may be nearby. A scaffolding collapse can lead to catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, and even death.
Another common type of scaffolding accident involves construction equipment or tools sliding off, or falling off, the scaffold and injuring construction workers below.
While hardhats may provide some level of protection, they are often inadequate when a heavy construction tool falls from a high scaffold. Blunt impact can lead to serious head trauma and even death.
Scaffolding accidents that occur around electricity can lead to serious and significant burn injuries. When an electrician or worker falls around live wires, this can lead to significant electrical shock, electrocution, or even an explosion.
Who Is To Blame for a Scaffolding Accident?
When a scaffolding accident occurs, there may be numerous parties to blame. In some situations, the construction workers themselves may be to blame. They could have been acting negligently or carelessly when setting up the scaffold, or when securing construction equipment. In other cases, the construction company could be to blame for inadequately maintaining the safety of the scaffolding, or the structure itself, or for failing to properly train employees about scaffolding hazards. In some situations, the manufacturer of the scaffolding may be to blame because of a design or manufacturing defect, or inadequate warnings.
The only way to actually determine who is ultimately responsible for your scaffolding accident, and subsequent injuries, is to speak to an experienced and skilled Pennsylvania Construction Accident Lawyer. Your attorney will need to investigate all angles of your accident to make a liability determination. It is important to take this step because worker’s compensation may not offer enough compensation to adequately cover your permanent or long-term disabilities.
Contact Our Experienced Construction Accident Lawyers
If you or someone you love has been injured in a scaffolding accident on a construction site, the experienced Pennsylvania Construction Accident Lawyers at McLaughlin & Lauricella, P.C., can help. Our team of lawyers consists of some of the best attorneys in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and we will fight aggressively for you throughout the legal process.
The Construction Accident Attorneys at McLaughlin & Lauricella, P.C., have more than 90 years of experience representing injured accident victims and their families across Philadelphia, Berks, Bucks, Dauphin, Delaware, Lackawanna, Lehigh, Luzerne, Montgomery, and Northampton Counties. We are also proud to serve injured accident victims throughout the State of New Jersey. Contact us today toll-free at 1-855-633-6251 or fill out our confidential contact form to learn more about your legal options.
