Texas Scaffolding Injury Lawyer
Construction is one of, if not the most, dangerous industries for workers in the country. Every year, over half a million construction workers are injured on the job across the United States. Twenty percent of all private-industry worker fatalities are construction-related. Each year, roughly one out of five construction accidents involve scaffolding.
Most construction work occurs high off the ground, with workers relying on ladders or scaffolding to perform their tasks. Window washers and painters also rely on scaffolding to do their jobs at a height. For that reason, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) sets strict standards and guidelines for scaffolding installation, maintenance, and operation. Unfortunately, not every general contractor, subcontractor, real estate developer, or property owner follows those guidelines. And even where those guidelines are followed, scaffolding collapses can still occur. When a person falls due to faulty scaffolding or other safety issues, serious injury is like to result.
If you have been injured in a scaffolding accident in Texas, or if your loved one has been killed in a construction accident, it is vital that you act quickly to preserve your rights. You need to retain a dedicated personal injury attorney as soon as possible to properly evaluate, investigate, and prosecute your possible claims. The attorneys at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices in Beaumont have years of experience handling a wide variety of personal injury matters, including construction accidents, maintenance injuries, and other scaffolding-related incidents.
Risks of Scaffolding Collapse
Working on scaffolding is dangerous at the best of times. Any misstep can lead to a long fall onto surfaces that are often covered with equipment, machinery, materials, and other hazards. The scaffolding accident lawyers at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices help clients recover compensation for injuries including:
- Traumatic brain injury. Workers who fall from scaffolding, or who are standing under scaffolding when it collapses and objects or people fall, are likely to suffer a serious blow to the head. Damage to the brain can cause serious conditions including concussion, coma, and death.
- Spinal cord injury. Falls from height are likely to cause damage to the spinal cord no matter how the injured party lands. Damage to the neck or back can lead to limited functionality, chronic pain, weakness, partial or total paralysis, and other serious conditions.
- Construction and maintenance often involve work on or around electrical wiring and power lines. When scaffolding collapses into a power line or becomes entangled with unprotected electrical wiring, workers can suffer an electrocution injury.
- Bone fractures. Falls from height or being struck by an object from above commonly leads to broken bones. Scaffold accident victims often suffer fractures to their feet, legs, knees, wrists, arms, pelvis, shoulder, and other extremities.
Scaffolding Safety Matters
OSHA imposes strict guidelines concerning the installation and operation of scaffolding. According to OSHA, the vast majority of accidents that occur could have been prevented if everyone involved was following safety guidelines and otherwise acting responsibly. Some important steps that employers should always take with regard to scaffolding include:
- Install a canopy or net to catch objects that fall from the scaffolding.
- Install and maintain appropriate guardrails.
- Ensure all workers on and around the scaffolding wear safety gear, including helmets
- Use the proper fall-arrest system
- Carefully respect scaffolding weight limits and avoid overloading scaffolding with extra materials, equipment, or personnel
- Block off areas underneath the scaffolding
Developers and contractors who fail to follow appropriate state and federal safety guidelines may be liable when a serious injury occurs. A seasoned Houston scaffolding injury attorney can ensure that the responsible parties pay for the damages that they owe injured construction accident victims.
Call a Zealous Texas Scaffolding Accident Lawyer
The construction accident attorneys at the Gilbert Adams Law Offices have decades of experience helping people who were hurt as a result of a dangerous worksite condition. If you or someone you care about has been injured in a scaffolding accident in Houston or elsewhere in Texas, contact the Gilbert Adams Law Offices today for a free consultation and immediate assistance. We handle personal injury and wrongful death cases on a contingency fee basis, which means you do not pay any attorneys’ fees until we collect compensation on your behalf.
