Building and development sites throughout Los Angeles present significant dangers because they house heavy machinery and involve high-risk tasks that frequently lead to life-altering harm. When construction firms, supervisors, or site owners ignore safety protocols and fail to provide the necessary training for their staff, these locations turn into traps for the individuals working to complete these difficult projects.
Data from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration indicates that millions of people show up to hundreds of thousands of work sites across the country every day. The rate of fatal incidents in this field remains much higher than the average for other industries, with workers facing regular threats from falling, equipment failure, or a lack of protective gear.
If you or someone in your family is experiencing the aftermath of a construction site incident, you should understand how the law protects you. Hinden & Breslavsky has been standing up for the rights of the workforce since 1974, and our team has recovered over $900 million for people who have been hurt while on the job. A lawyer with a history of success in these specific cases can help you seek the full financial recovery you deserve.
Most Common Causes of Construction Site Injuries
Construction workers often face specific dangers that lead to legal action, including:
- Falling incidents: Falls remain the primary reason for deaths and catastrophic injuries on job sites, as people frequently work on scaffolding, roofs, or ladders. These events often result in brain trauma or broken bones, and employers are legally required to set up the workspace to prevent people from dropping off high platforms or into floor openings.
- Objects falling from above: Items that are not fastened down can strike those working on lower levels, leading to concussions or spinal damage even if the person is wearing a hard hat. This danger is especially high near cranes or where power tools are creating airborne debris.
- Being struck by equipment: A large majority of deaths caused by being hit by an object involve massive vehicles like trucks or swinging backhoes.
- Machinery malfunctions: Heavy tools can fail and cause the loss of a limb or severe bleeding if safety guards are missing. If a piece of equipment was designed poorly, you might have a claim against the company that made it.
- Electrical shocks: Contact with live wires or underground power lines can be deadly, and these incidents usually happen when ladders or lifts touch energized sources.
- Vehicle crashes: Poor safety practices around forklifts or trucks can lead to a person being pinned against a wall or crushed if a vehicle tips over.
- Being caught in or between objects: These frightening accidents happen when someone is crushed inside machinery, trapped under a falling load, or buried when a trench wall gives way.
- Blasts and fires: The storage of flammable chemicals and the presence of exposed wiring can lead to explosions that cause severe smoke inhalation or burns.
- Structural collapses: Walls that are not supported correctly can fall over, and trenches can cave in on those working inside them.
- Roadway collisions: For those working on California highways, there is a constant risk from drivers who are distracted or impaired while passing through a construction zone.
Frequent Physical Damage Suffered by Workers
The physical toll of these accidents can be permanent, often resulting in:
- Traumatic brain injuries that require years of therapy and multiple operations.
- Damage to the spinal cord that causes chronic pain or leaves a person unable to walk.
- Severe burns that lead to permanent scarring and require expensive skin grafts.
- Amputations of fingers or limbs due to equipment failure.
- Fractured bones that limit how a person moves for the rest of their life.
- Loss of vision or hearing from loud noises and flying particles.
- Psychological trauma such as post-traumatic stress disorder after witnessing or experiencing a tragedy.
While some risk is part of the job, many of these tragedies happen because a company did not provide the right safety equipment or ignored state laws.
Speaking With Hinden & Breslavsky After a Work Injury
If you are going through the recovery process after an accident, you should talk to a legal professional to see if a third party, such as a property owner or a manufacturer, is responsible for what happened. Hinden & Breslavsky provides aggressive advocacy and has a deep dedication to our clients in Los Angeles.
We offer a free consultation so you can talk about what happened without any financial pressure. Our office provides help in English, Spanish, Russian, Hebrew, and Farsi to ensure everyone has access to the support they need. You can reach us at (323) 954-1800 to find out how our experience can help you with your claim.