In Gloversville and Fulton County, people count on construction workers to build new homes and commercial centers, and repair existing structures. Working construction can pay well, but it is also a dangerous job. Every construction site contains potential risks to crew members’ safety.
Common injuries suffered in construction accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBI)
- Neck and spinal injuries
- Crushed and amputated limbs
- Severe burns
- Heatstroke
- Fatal injuries
Besides catastrophic injuries like these, there are injuries that build up over time, like repetitive stress injuries and muscle and joint damage.
The most common construction accidents
Construction workers do their jobs using powerful tools and heavy machinery, often working a great height above the ground. As such, they are vulnerable to several types of accidents, such as:
- Falls off of scaffolding, roofs or exposed floors
- Getting hit by a dropped tool or other heavy object
- Defective or malfunctioning equipment
- Getting run over or crushed by a truck, backhoe or other large vehicle
- Getting caught under collapsing beams or in a caved-in ditch
- Electric shocks
- Explosions and fires
While these kinds of incidents are rare, they do happen. Contractors and subcontractors are required by law to provide necessary safety equipment and training to minimize serious accidents. But nothing can guarantee a completely injury-free day at a construction site.
The aftermath of a construction injury
The result of a major accident can be devastating injuries. The injuries we listed above can put you out of work for weeks or months, if not years. Some construction injuries cause permanent disability. The job duties the victim can perform becomes limited, or else they cannot return to construction work at all.
In New York, construction workers who suffer major temporary or permanent disabilities that affect their ability to work are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ comp can help pay your hospital bills and other medical expenses, as well as at least partly replace your expected lost future wages.