Construction sites hold countless threats to worker safety. When property owners, supervisors, or independent contractors fail to provide the safety measures necessary to keep workers safe when doing dangerous work, their lives may be put at risk. A recent accident on a Las Vegas construction site has left one man dead. The accident was an example of one of the most common forms of fatal construction site injuries. Below, learn more about the local accident, and speak with a seasoned Las Vegas construction accident attorney if you have been injure d on the job.
Fatal Accident During Trailer Home Assembly
The accident taking the life of a local worker occurred on Thursday, February 8, 2018. A 77-year-old man was working on a mobile trailer home near Desert Inn Road and Nellis Boulevard; the man was attempting to assemble the home when the accident occurred. While the man was under the trailer, attempting to remove its wheels, the structure slipped off its foundation and fell, crushing the man. Clark County Fire Department and Las Vegas Police Department personnel responded to the accident, but the man was declared dead at the scene by emergency responders.
Caught-In-Between Accidents One of Most Common Sources of Fatal Injury
Accidents where workers are caught inside of tight spaces or in between objects are known as caught-in accidents by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). These accidents are one of the so-called Fatal Four, which are the four most common causes of fatal injuries on construction sites. According to OSHA’s statistics, caught-in accidents were the cause of 5% of all on-the-job deaths in a recent single year, and the cause of 16% of all construction deaths. Caught-in deaths often result when workers are pinned between a large piece of machinery and an immovable surface, such as a wall or building materials. They can also result when workers who are tasked with a job within a trench or excavation are not provided with sufficient protection from a cave-in or trench collapse. When an independent contractor or third party is the cause of a worker’s injuries in a caught-in accident, that worker may have the right to file a lawsuit against that third party for their medical expenses, missed work, and pain and suffering.
Construction Accidents Can Give Rise to Both Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Liability Claims
When a construction worker is injured on the job, the employee can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. These benefits help with medical expenses and also provide wage replacement while the employee is out of work due to injury or disability. Depending upon the cause of the accident, the worker may also have a negligence claim against a third party who was responsible for causing the accident. It’s important for injured workers to contact an attorney who is experienced in both Nevada workers’ compensation and third-party liability claims to recover the maximum compensation for medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering and other legal damages.