St. Petersburg Construction Accident Lawyer

Without the proper precautions and safety measures, a construction site can be a dangerous work environment. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Commonly Used Statistics, over 5,000 workers died in construction accidents in 2017. If you or a loved one sustained injuries in a construction accident in the state of Florida, contact Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers at (855) 529-0269 to get started with a free consultation.

Construction Safety Regulations

Though the state does not have its own department, Florida follows the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) construction safety guidelines. In turn, OSHA has a relationship with the University of South Florida Safety Florida Consultation Program, which distributes information regarding any worker safety laws and regulations applicable to Florida construction workers. Contacting a St. Petersburg construction accident lawyer from Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers at (855) 529-0269 will help you understand your rights.

Common Types of Construction Accidents

The United States Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that Florida has a high number of construction injuries and fatalities. Even when employers take all safety precautions on construction sites, construction equipment can still fail, tools can be misused, and other malfunctions are common occurrences.

According to BLR, the 10 most frequent work-related accidents and their related OSHA regulations are as follows:

1. Construction-related falls (29 CFR 1926.501)
2. General hazards (29 CFR 1910.1200)
3. Construction scaffolding accidents (29 CFR 1926.451)
4. General respiratory-related accidents (29 CFR 1910.134)
5. General accidents related to hazardous energy (29 CFR 1910.147)
6. Construction accidents related to ladders (29 CFR 1926.1053)
7. Trucking accidents (29 CFR 1910.178)
8. Training protection for falls (29 CFR 1926.503)
9. General machinery accidents (29 CFR 1910.212)
10. Eye and facial related accidents (29 CFR 1926.102)

The “Fatal Four”

While all the construction accidents listed above result in injuries and possibly deaths, four types of accidents compose over half of the construction accidents each year. Per OSHA’s Commonly Used Statistics, the leading causes of construction worker accidents and deaths are as follows:

• Falls (39.2%)
• Struck by an object (8.2%)
• Electrocutions (7.3%)
• Caught-in/between (5.1%)–This category includes construction worker fatalities when the worker was caught or compressed by construction-related equipment or objects.

Your Construction Accident Action Plan

If you have been injured in a construction accident, these following steps will help us ensure that your medical and legal rights are preserved.

Alert Management of the Construction Accident

Your first step is to alert management that you were involved in a construction-related accident. Ensure that they take an official report of the accident and document the event and any injuries suffered.

Obtain a Complete Medical Evaluation

If you have been injured on the job as a construction worker, you need to seek medical attention immediately. While you may have been following all safety protocols, including wearing all required protection and operating the machinery appropriately, accidents can happen.

Your employer may have you seek the medical attention of a specific medial professional due to insurance reasons. However, you must notify any medical provider or doctor that evaluates your medical condition that your injuries are a result of a work-related accident. Seek additional medical advice and counsel if the care you receive from the medical provider required by your employer does not provide adequate medical care for your injuries. While taking these steps is important for your health, they also provide expert documentation regarding any medical issues you may have.  These reports will help us establish your construction accident claim.

Workers Compensation

Your employer may offer you a settlement for your injuries through a workers’ compensation claim. We can help you determine if there was negligence on the part of the employer if there was a failure to use reasonable care by a third-party, or a defective piece of equipment. Before you give a statement to an insurance company regarding your construction accident injury, contact a St. Petersburg construction accident lawyer to help you determine your legal rights. We can work with the insurance company on your behalf, and help you get the compensation owed to you.

Workers’ compensation claims exist to prevent you from suing your employer regarding your construction accident injuries. However, construction accident injuries often occur due to the negligence of third-party contractors present on the construction site. We can help you navigate the complex laws regarding workers’ compensation and who may have liability with respect to your construction accident injury.

Document Everything Possible

While having official employer accident reports, insurance reports, and medical evaluations are important, we can build your construction accident case on the additional documentation you provide, including the following:

• Use your cell phone to take photographs of the entire construction accident scene and of all injuries suffered, if possible
• Obtain all witnesses’ contact information, which will help us obtain witness statements later, if necessary
• Maintain records of any correspondence or information that relates to the accident, such as insurance company correspondence, employer correspondence, medical bills, doctor’s notes, lost wages, etc.
• Maintain a personal diary of any physical symptoms over time

Contact an Attorney

If you have suffered an injury related to a construction accident, you should contact a St. Petersburg construction accident lawyer as soon as possible. Talking to a construction accident attorney can help you understand your rights. We can work with you every step of the way through your workers’ compensation claim to litigation if necessary. The team at Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers will help you understand your legal rights and determine your legal options to receive just compensation for your construction accident injury.

Call Chalik & Chalik Injury Lawyers today at (855) 529-0269 to get started with a free consultation.