Atlanta Scaffold Accident Lawyers
The private construction industry leads all other industries in the number of workplace deaths that occur every year, and falls from heights are the leading cause of death in construction accidents. Yet falling from a scaffold due to lack of personal fall protection is only one way construction workers can get severely injured or killed while working on a scaffold. Scaffolds that are negligently constructed or built with cheap, old or reused materials can collapse in a catastrophic accident, causing multiple fatalities as well as broken bones, brain injuries, internal injuries and more. Workers at lower levels or on the ground are also vulnerable to injury or death from being struck by tools or equipment falling off the scaffold. Scaffold accidents literally cause thousands of injuries and dozens of deaths every year.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 65% of construction workers use scaffolds frequently on the job, yet a quarter of construction laborers have not received proper training on using scaffolds safely. Contractors, subcontractors, job site managers and others are responsible to see that scaffolds are erected and used safely by properly trained and supervised workers, and these parties can be held liable for accidents and injuries that result. The Atlanta scaffold accident lawyers at Shiver Hamilton Campbell are known for taking on cases involving the most serious injuries or wrongful death and recovering significant jury verdicts that hold responsible parties accountable to accident victims for the full measure of harm they have caused.
If you or a loved one has been hurt in a metro Atlanta scaffold accident, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell for a free consultation to discuss your potential claims and get started on the path to recovering compensation for the harm done.
Why Scaffold Accidents Happen
A scaffold is a platform erected to allow construction laborers to work at heights for extended periods. All sorts of construction and renovation activities can take place using scaffolds, with workers frequently using all manner of tools, from hammers and nails and paintbrushes to power drills, nail guns and screw guns. Scaffolds are busy places where horrific accidents can occur if all workers are not operating safely or even through no fault of their own.
Leading causes of scaffold accidents on Atlanta construction worksites include:
- Planking or support gives way
- Worker slips and falls
- Worker hit by a falling object
- Workers fall due to a lack of guardrails
- Scaffold is loaded past its weight limit
- Scaffold is erected on a weak or uneven surface
Scaffold Accidents Cause Serious Personal Injury and Wrongful Death
With all the risks involved – falling, being struck by an object, scaffold collapses – working on scaffolds is one of the most dangerous activities in construction, despite also being one of the most common. Scaffold accidents cause a wide range of injuries, including:
- Broken neck
- Traumatic brain injury
- Broken back or spinal cord injury
- Broken bones
- Cuts and bruises
- Concussions and head injuries
- Electrocution from energized surfaces or coming into contact with power lines or exposed wiring
- Crush injuries in a scaffold collapse, including fractures and asphyxiation
- Death
Injured Workers and Their Families Can Get Support After a Construction Accident
Many construction workers are covered by workers’ compensation through their employer, which will pay for their medical expenses and a portion of their lost wages, or a death benefit to families of workers killed on the job. Many other construction workers, however, operate as independent contractors and don’t have the benefit of workers’ comp. When independent contractors are injured on the job, or when employees are injured because of the negligence of a third party, these workers can get their damages paid by filing a civil lawsuit against the responsible party. A civil lawsuit can be harder to win than a workers’ compensation claim, but the benefits are typically much greater and include the full amount of medical bills and lost wages plus other types of damages such as pain and suffering.
While workers don’t need an attorney to file a workers’ compensation claim (unless their claim is denied), it can be next to impossible to win a civil lawsuit in court or even settle out-of-court for the proper amount without being represented by a skilled and experienced construction accident attorney. At Shiver Hamilton Campbell, this is all we do.
Get Help From A Atlanta Scaffold Accident Lawyer
If you have been hurt in a scaffold accident in metro Atlanta, or if you lost a loved one in a scaffold accident or other Atlanta construction accident, call Shiver Hamilton Campbell at 404-593-0020 for a free consultation. We take on cases involving the most serious catastrophic injuries or wrongful death, and we fight to secure significant compensation for our clients who were hurt because of another’s negligence or wrongful conduct.
