background Image
Construction Icon

Workplace Accidents, Construction Defects & Electrocutions

Workplace accidents are common throughout Florida. The attorneys at Gold & Gold understand the unique problems that workplace accidents cause. When a worker is injured while on the job and that injury limits or prevents them from continuing to work, there is insult added to injury. The last thing an injured worker needs is the financial stress of being out of work and the difficulties in working with their employer through a disabling injury.

Our attorneys work diligently and aggressively on behalf of injured workers to obtain full and fair compensation.

Often times, workplace accidents occur on construction sites. The construction industry is known as Florida’s most dangerous occupation. Despite the increased emphasis on workplace safety from OSHA and regulatory bodies, accidents occur frequently, which often results in serious injuries.

As one of the United States’ biggest employers, the construction industry employs approximately 5.6 million people on commercial, residential, and civil engineering projects. The number of construction projects is especially large in South Florida with the increase of residential and commercial development projects including high-rise condominiums, hotels and tourist attractions.  

This increases the likelihood of injuries occurring on a construction work site. In fact, one out of every five fatal workplace accidents per year was sustained by a construction worker.

Causes of Construction Accidents in Florida

There are numerous possible hazards present on a construction site at any given moment. A single mistake can result in severe injuries or death, which is why contractors and subcontractors should train workers in recognizing hazards and use caution while on the job.

OSHA has recognized four construction hazards that are responsible for the majority of construction site accidents including:

  1. Fall Hazards – Many construction projects involve work high above ground level. Falls from elevations, ladders, scaffolds, and contact with equipment or machinery, such as cranes or forklifts, are a major cause of construction injuries.
  2. Caught-In-Between Hazards – Injuries that result from a person being squeezed, caught, crushed, pinched or compressed between two or more objects. These accidents usually occur due to unguarded moving machinery, equipment that is not locked-out during maintenance, working between moving materials or vehicles, and heavy equipment that causes walls to collapse.
  3. Struck-By Hazards – Injuries caused by forcible contact or impact between the injured person and a flying, falling, swinging or rolling object. Common accidents include crane collapses, falling equipment loads, faulty overhead power lines, non-visible workers, or a blast of compressed air.
  4. Electrical Hazards – One of the most common causes of injury and death in the construction industry is electrocution caused by high-voltage equipment and portable electric power. This is often the result of poor maintenance and safety protocols.

Construction Injuries Are Not Limited to  Workers’ Compensation

Workplace injuries, such as construction accidents, allow an injured worker to receive workers’ compensation – financial compensation for lost wages and medical expenses associated with his/her injury regardless of fault.  

When a serious injury occurs on a construction site, it is not uncommon for those who are injured to suffer traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and amputations. Such catastrophic injuries often require lifelong treatments and recovery. However, the pain and suffering related to the injury is not recoverable under workers’ compensation, and workers are not limited to only pursuing workers’ compensation claims.

In many instances, a construction accident is the fault of multiple parties. Construction accidents are often complex cases and involve multiple parties, including owners, leasing companies, contractors, subcontractors, product manufactures and more. Where a party other than the employer is at fault, Gold & Gold can help secure an injured construction worker significant financial compensation for damages..

Gold & Gold has been fighting to protect the rights of injured construction workers for more than 40 years.

Our lawyers possess comprehensive knowledge of workers’ compensation laws and understand the importance of conducting an immediate investigation into the circumstances involving a work site injury to determine what other entities may be at fault for a construction accident.. Often times, this requires creativity in finding fault on a party that otherwise seemed non-negligent.

As an example, our law firm obtained a seven figure verdict at trial for the widow of a man who was killed while working on an intracoastal seawall in Palm Beach County.

While our client’s husband was working on the seawall on land, a large barge was floating in the intracoastal with a crane secured to it. An unknown boat came speeding past the barge causing it to rock back and forth. As a result of the rocking, the crane cable snapped and caused a portion of the crane to fall on and crush our client’s husband.

Although our client was able to receive workers’ compensation benefits, the employer could not be held responsible for the pain and suffering due to workers’ compensation immunity. Our firm was able to circumvent the workers compensation immunity defense and convince a jury that the crane manufacturer was at fault for this accident, allowing our client to recover significant compensation for pain, suffering and the wrongful death of her husband.

The attorneys at Gold & Gold also represented a delivery truck driver who was catastrophically injured when a bale of hay was negligently dropped off a forklift onto our client causing partial paralysis and severe impairment. Through litigation we uncovered several workplace protocols that if followed would have prevented this incident from occurring. This resulted in a settlement of $2.7 million which provided the financial ability to rehabilitate our client.

If you or a loved one has been injured while working on a construction site, contact us to schedule a consultation and discuss your case with an experienced attorney.  

Our construction accident attorneys will guide you through the entire legal process whether it leads to settlement or judgment, and uncover every detail of your accident, evaluate your medical and financial losses, and pursue full justice on your behalf.