Construction sites in and around San Diego present many hazards to the workers who enter these sites every day. Even the safest and most compliant work site exposes workers to certain unavoidable risks of injury and even death. Construction site accidents can cause devastating injuries with long-term consequences. Injured employees have the right to be compensated for all their financial losses, including medical costs, wage-loss while recovering and for the permanent disability caused by the accident.
Construction Industry Has the Highest Number of “Struck By” Fatalities
Safety and Health Magazine reports on the findings of a study by the Center for Construction Research and Training. This study found that 804 construction workers were killed between 2011 and 2015 as the result of being struck by a vehicle, object or equipment. No other major industry in America had as many “struck by” fatalities during this time period. The study also made note of other important findings about safety in the construction industry. Fatal accidents were divided fairly evenly between workers who were struck by vehicles and those who were struck by objects or equipment. Of the half of the fatalities caused by auto accidents, 57 percent of these occurred in work zones. This means that about one in every four workers who are struck and killed on work sites die in a construction zone on the roadway.
Interestingly, construction workers aged 65 and older were most likely to sustain a fatal “struck by” injury. This corroborates other data which has found that injury rates across many different industries increase as workers get older. Slower reflexes, diminished hearing and vision and other symptoms of aging can all make a worker more prone to sustain an injury while on the job.
Real San Diego Workers Have Been Affected By Construction Accidents
San Diego construction workers and their families suffer very real and devastating losses as a result of work site accidents. According to CBS 8, a construction worker was killed at a FedEx facility that was under construction in Oceanside. He was working along a drainage canal when a retaining wall collapsed on him. By the time he was extracted from the three-by-twelve foot slab of concrete, he was dead. It was not known why the retaining wall fell, but such structural collapses are a risk inherent to construction sites.
Another construction worker was killed downtown while working on the site of the new consolidated rental car center near the airport. NBC San Diego reports that the worker was attempting to climb rebar in order to pour concrete forms. The rebar collapsed around him, and the man was crushed by the falling debris. Climbing the rebar might have been a safety violation. Regardless, falling debris is another common hazard on construction sites.
There are many different causes of construction accidents. The specific facts of your accident will determine who has a legal obligation to compensate you for your injuries. Contact a San Diego workers' compensation attorney in order to protect your legal rights. An attorney can help determine your eligibility for workers' compensation coverage and other potential sources of compensation.