Common Construction Accident Injuries
The labor-intensive nature of construction work can lead to accidents and subsequent injuries. Sometimes these injuries are minor, but construction sites can be dangerous and cause serious injuries that affect the rest of the worker’s life. In more severe scenarios, the injury can compromise their working ability and keep them from returning to construction.
That’s why safety is a large concern on construction sites. Safety managers and every worker on the site are supposed to be paying attention to the conditions and ensuring that everyone is safe. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that there were over 5,000 fatalities on the job in 2018. Of those workplace deaths, over 20 percent occurred in the construction industry.
Construction is a dangerous job where the smallest slip-up could cause a serious or fatal injury. There are four main causes for construction site fatalities, which OSHA calls the fatal four. All workers could prevent these incidents through awareness and following safety protocol, but not all job sites are perfect, and not all workers are diligent. The fatal four are:
- Falls
- Struck by an object
- Electrocution
- Caught-in/between
When these accidents happen on a construction site that was caused by the negligence of someone else, you’ll likely want to seek financial compensation for the damages that you incurred. With the help of a Columbia, SC construction accident lawyer, you could get full and fair compensation while holding that person or party accountable. Let’s take a look at what you might be able to recover for your injuries and other damages.
What You Can Recover from Workers’ Compensation
South Carolina’s workers’ compensation system works on a no-fault basis, meaning that employees who get hurt on the job don’t need to prove that they were blameless for the accident. No matter who was at fault, if an employee was injured at work, they can apply for workers’ compensation. Since the workers’ comp is no-fault, that also means it’s usually the only way an injured worker can recover damages from their work injury.
Through workers’ comp, you will be able to recover your medical bills and lost wages that your injury caused you to incur. You won’t have to prove that you weren’t at fault or that someone else was at fault; you’ll just need proof of your injuries and documentation of the medical costs and how much you’ve lost in wages. You could also include the costs of future care and loss of future wages if the accident caused permanent or partial disability.
