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Falling from Heights Accidents Can Be Deadly
Are you someone who does your work while high off of the ground? Even those with no fear of heights can appreciate that this is a dangerous situation. This is why so many safety procedures and regulations are in place to prevent accidents. However, due to an accident or ignoring the rules, falls can happen and lead to severe injuries.
Who Is Likely to Suffer Fall from Heights Accidents?
Construction and industrial job sites are the most common when it comes to catastrophic accidents and horrible falls. Electricians, carpenters, welders, skilled laborers, and tradesmen may fall off of scaffolding found at construction sites for high-rise buildings, among other things. Painters, masonry workers, and roofers may fall off of ladders. Those who wash windows can fall out of the ropes and into boatswain chairs. Harbor workers, dock workers, and longshoremen can fall off cargo ships, cranes, boat rigging, and cherry pickers.
What to Do After a Fall from High Up?
Workers’ compensation is available for workers who fall while on the job. It can also offer benefits for the worker’s family members if the worker dies as a result of the accident. However, these benefits are limited and may not always meet all your needs after a serious injury.
If your fall is the result of a negligent party, there may be other compensation that can be sought with the help of a lawyer. Some examples of negligence include:
- Dangerous property conditions
- Defective or missing guardrails
- Holes in floors left uncovered
- Defective or missing safety lines or tethers
- Dangerous objects in areas where workers run the risk of falling
- Defective ladders or scaffolding
In most cases, employers are protected from wrongful death and personal injury lawsuits related to accidents that are work-related, but third parties may still be liable. This includes vendors, property owners, equipment managers, subcontractors, and other people who do not work for your employer.
Choosing Your Next Steps
When you experience a major fall, it can be fatal if the organs are damaged or the spine is fractured. Even a fall from nine feet up can result in death or permanent paralysis if a spinal fracture occurs. Caring for these types of injuries after a fall can be expensive and a huge source of financial stress. A personal injury lawyer from Barovick Law is the best person to have by your side if this horrible situation happens to you or someone in your family.