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Construction site accidents account for the second-highest number of fatal work injuries in any industry in the United States, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.In Kentucky, fatal accidents in the construction industry top the Kentucky Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Program’s workplace fatality report each year from 2010 to 2012.
Accidents in the construction industry occur because of unsafe working conditions, faulty equipment, lack of safety precautions or human error. Victims of nonfatal construction accidents can suffer injuries that make it impossible for them to continue to earn a living.
When a construction worker is injured or dies in a work-related accident in Kentucky, workers’ compensation benefits are supposed to assist the worker or their surviving family. But many who deserve workers’ compensation benefits encounter roadblocks when they file a claim or they find they are receiving compensation that does not adequately meet their needs.
That’s where we can help. For more than 15 years, the Lexington workers’ compensation lawyers at the Frank Jenkins Law Office have helped injured construction workers secure the benefits they need and deserve. Contact the Frank Jenkins Law Office today at 859-389-9344 or through our online contact form. Your initial consultation is free and confidential.
Construction work is among the most dangerous in the U.S., and Kentucky is no exception.Construction workers engage in many activities that can expose them to serious hazards, such as falling from rooftops and other heights, being struck by heavy construction equipment, electrocution, and contact with dangerous machinery, silica dust and asbestos, the U.S. Occupational Safety Health Administration (OSHA) says.
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) says roughly four cases of injury or illness in the construction industry per 100 full-time workers result in days away from work, job restrictions or transfers during a typical year.There were 759 fatal workplace accidents in the construction industry across the country in 2011. In Kentucky, seven people died in construction accidents in 2012. There were six fatal accidents in the construction industry in Kentucky in 2011 and five in 2010.
Falls are the leading cause of death in construction, OSHA says. In 2010, there were 264 fall fatalities (255 falls to lower level) out of 774 total fatalities in construction. Three out of the seven accidental construction fatalities in Kentucky in 2012 were falls, identified as “fall from height,” “fall from ladder” and “fall from roof.”
Workers who are six feet or more above lower levels are at risk for serious injury or death if they fall, according to OSHA. To protect these workers, employers are expected provide fall protection and the right equipment for the job, including the right kinds of ladders, scaffolds and safety gear, including personal fall arrest systems (PFAS). OSHA also says that employers must train workers in hazard recognition and in the care and safe use of ladders, scaffolds, fall protection systems, and other equipment they use on the job.
Violations of OSHA rules contribute to many job-related accidents at construction sites.OSHA publishes an annual list of the Top 10 most frequently cited standards violations in OSHA inspections of work sites.
The Top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violations for October 1, 2011, to September 30, 2012, were:
Common construction site accidents can cause contusions (bruises), lacerations (cuts), concussion and traumatic brain injury (TBI), broken bones (fractures), dislocated joints, spinal injuries, burns and electric shock, and respiratory damage and scarring, among other injuries or death.
Developers, general contractors and other construction project owners/operators are legally obligated to ensure that their construction sites are safe and that workers are trained and have been issued properly functioning safety equipment.
If you have suffered a serious injury at a construction site, you have a right to be compensated for your losses. This includes money to assist with medical bills and lost wages during your recovery,and future lost wages if you have suffered permanent partial or total disability. A Kentucky workers’ compensation attorney experienced with construction site accidents can help you obtain the workers’ compensation benefits that you and your family need and deserve.
If you or a loved one needs legal assistance in the pursuit of a workers’ comp claim after a construction site accident, or if you have questions about your appeal of a denied claim, contact one of our experienced Lexington workers’ compensation lawyers today at 859-389-9344 or use our online contact form.
The attorneys at the Frank Jenkins Law Office assist injured construction workers in Lexington and the surrounding communities of Berea, Georgetown, Nicholasville, Paris, Richmond, Versailles and Winchester, as well as throughout Eastern Kentucky and across the state. We can help you at any stage in the workers’ compensation claims process.
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Since opening his own law office in 1997, Frank Jenkins has dedicated his practice to helping disabled workers and individuals obtain the Workers' Compensation benefits to which they are entitled.
Jason attended the University of Kentucky as an undergraduate majoring in English, with a focus on creative writing. Having fallen in love with the town of Lexington, there was only one choice for him – attending the University of Kentucky College of Law.
I am a recent graduate of University of Kentucky College of Law. During law school I interned with a Family Court Judge, and also did an internship with The Children’s Law Center here in Lexington, KY. After taking the bar exam, I began work with Frank Jenkins Law Office as a Law Clerk.
For more than 15 years, the Frank Jenkins Law Office has helped workers across Kentucky obtain the workers' compensation benefits they need and deserve. Dealing with insurance companies, medical records, doctors, defense lawyers and the Department of Workers' Claims can be complex, time-consuming and frustrating — but you don't have to do it on your own! We can provide the legal skills and experience necessary to aggressively fight for your rights.
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