Construction Workers and Job Injuries

Construction Workers and Job Injuries

The Country is currently experiencing a construction boom.  Drive down the road or interstate and the evidence of the boom is easy to see.  There seems to be more work than workers available in construction, and this generally leads to longer hours and more work injuries.

Even before the recent uptake in construction, construction workers were always near the top of lists of employees with dangerous jobs as Manufacturing and construction workers regularly face potential safety risks handling large equipment, heavy objects and even flammable materials.

According to the attached article, annually 1 in 10 construction workers suffer a work injury and 1 in 5 job related deaths which happen occur in the construction industry.

If you are a construction worker in Alabama, you have most likely suffered a job injury before, probably several times.  Construction workers and their families know that you do heavy work which takes a toll on your body.  Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for construction workers to suffer serious job accidents and injuries, such as: torn rotator cuffs, herniated discs, knee injuries (torn meniscus or cartilage) or hernias.  I was recently looking at a site for orthopedic surgeons and came across the following list of the Top Ten Injuries most often suffered by construction workers:

1. Back Injury – Construction workers are often working at extreme heights and a fall can mean a serious back or neck injury. Back injuries also occur from heavy lifting and repetitive motion over years of working in the field.
2. Head Injury –Falling debris can cause severe head injuries for many construction workers. Even when wearing proper headgear, falling objects from extreme heights can still have disastrous outcomes.
3. Eye Injury –Often times in construction work there is a lot of debris or particles in the air around you from the work being done. If proper safety goggles aren’t always worn, or if you don’t know they need to be worn, an eye injury can occur. In severe situations this can lead to blindness.
4. Knee Injury –Heavy lifting and repetitive motion are to blame for many knee injuries construction workers suffer.
5. Crushing Injuries –In the case of a trench or building collapse, a construction worker can suffer serious crushing injuries including broken bones and even suffocation.
6. Burns –Construction sites are filled with chemicals and hazardous materials that can cause explosions or burns. Burns are a very serious injury that require extensive recovery time and treatment.
7. Heatstroke – Due to the harsh work environments and long hours, many construction workers suffer from heatstroke or exhaustion. In severe cases this can require hospitalization to replenish nutrients and electrolytes to return the body to a healthy state.
8. Respiratory disease –Respiratory diseases are very common among construction workers due to the hazardous work conditions they’re in every day. Asbestos related diseases, black lung, and chronic pneumonia are some of the most common respiratory diseases seen in this line of work.
9. Hearing Loss or Damage –Many people don’t think about their ears when they think about injuries, but in this field it’s a very common injury. Over time, the loud machinery and tools can cause permanent hearing loss in a worker.
10. Muscle Strains –Heavy lifting and repetitive motions are to blame for this injury as well and many of the others mentioned. The best treatment for a muscle strain is rest and ice, but many workers don’t feel able to take a day or two off to let their bodies heal.

Most of the time, when a construction worker suffers a job injury, their sole means of recourse is through the Alabama workers’ compensation system; however, there are cases in which the injured worker can also have a separate third party claim (that is, a legal claim against another party for their negligent or reckless actions).  For instance, if you were working for a sub-contractor on a job site, and due to the negligent actions of the general contractor or other sub-contracting company you were injured, you could have a separate personal injury claim against them as well as a workers’ compensation claim.

If you work as a construction worker in Alabama+ and have suffered a job injury on a construction site and you have questions about your rights under Alabama’s workers’ compensation laws and other potential legal claims, don’t hesitate to contact and speak with one of the experienced Alabama Job Injury attorneys at Powell and Denny for a free consultation; and remember, virtual appointments are available through Zoom from wherever you live.

 Powell and Denny: We Work When You Can’t

Offices in Birmingham, AL and Huntsville, AL

Alabama Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Hoover Workers Compensation Lawyers

Huntsville Workers’ Compensation Attorneys

Powell and Denny have been selected as one of the Best Law Firms by U.S. News and World Report for each of the last 9 years, have been selected as one of Birmingham’s Top Lawyers by B-Metro Magazine for the last 5 years, have been selected by The National Advocates as one of the Top 20 Workers’ Compensation Firms (plaintiffs) and Powell and Denny, P.C.-has been selected as one of the “Best of the Best” law firms by The American Registry.

Mr. Denny is AV rated by Martindale Hubbard (the highest rating possible) and Mr. Powell has been rated as Superior by The National Registry

+ Powell and Denny have successfully represented injured workers from Birmingham, Huntsville, Florence, Muscle Shoals, Tuscumbia, Athens, Decatur, Town Creek Ardmore, Hartselle, Madison, Toney, Scottsboro, Ft. Payne, New Hope, Guntersville, Albertville, Boaz, Ashville, Anniston, Gadsden, Cullman, Jasper, Gardendale, Morris, Kimberly, Centerpoint, Leeds, Tarrant City, Fairfield, Hueytown, Bessemer, Adger, Tuscaloosa, Cordova, Alabaster, Pelham, Harpersville, Opelika, Phenix City, Montgomery, Clanton, Calera, Enterprise, Monroeville, Mobile, Evergreen and towns and cities in between.

 

Construction Workers and Job Injuries