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What Can I Do if I Was Injured in an Industrial Accident at Work?

What Can I Do if I Was Injured in an Industrial Accident at Work?
Casper, Meadows, Schwartz & Cook

Rates of Serious Injury & Death Among American Workers

According to the most recent statistics published by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 100 workers die each week due to workplace hazards.

The chief dangers for construction and industrial workers include what the OSHA has dubbed “the fatal four”:

  • Being caught in a machine or caught between 2 objects: Approximately 7 percent of worker fatalities in 2016 happened because workers were pinned between machines and other objects, pulled into moving machines, crushed by collapsing buildings, or otherwise stuck.
  • Being hit by objects: Approximately 9 percent of worker fatalities in 2016 resulted from workers being struck by falling objects, hit by pieces of moving machinery, or flying portions of buildings or materials that are being destroyed.
  • Electrocution: Approximately 8 percent of worker fatalities in 2016 occurred as a result of electrocution accidents.
  • Falls: Approximately 39 percent of worker fatalities in 2016 were caused by falls from heights, scaffolding, rooftops, or other incidents involving injury by slips or trips.

Your Employer’s Safety Responsibilities

You have likely witnessed at least one serious injury or accident if you have been working in a construction or industrial setting for any amount of time. Many people who work in such environments assume that getting hurt once in a while is just part of the job, but this is patently false.

Employers and supervisors are responsible for providing a safe work environment. When they fail to do so, employees can get hurt. While nothing can prevent individual employees from behaving irresponsibly and putting themselves in harm’s way, employers have a legal obligation to adhere to basic safety standards by doing the following:

  • Educating employees regarding the handling of toxic chemicals and dangerous machines
  • Implementing corrections after being found in violation of OSHA standards
  • Keeping a log of employee illnesses and injuries and provide employees with a copy of such records upon request
  • Promptly obtaining and assessing test results that may indicate dangers in the workplace
  • Protecting workers from toxic chemical exposure
  • Providing appropriate safety gear for workers
  • Providing machinery that is safe and functional
  • Responding appropriately to complaints of injury and unsafe working conditions
  • Training employees in their own language or in language simple enough to understand
  • Using visible, legible, color-coded labels, signs, etc. in order to warn workers of dangerous machines, chemicals, etc.

The Difference Between Workers’ Compensation & Personal Injury

In most cases, you cannot sue your employer for negligence, and the workers’ compensation system is your best bet for receiving injury-related payment and financial support. However, many cases of industrial and construction accidents involve the negligence of third parties and other companies. If you are injured because of the negligence of a third-party company who is not your employer, or if a loved one was killed due to the negligence of a third-party company, you may be able to take legal action and file a personal injury lawsuit in order to recover compensation for your injury-related losses.

Personal Injury Attorneys Serving Construction & Industrial Workers in Walnut Creek

At Casper Meadows Schwartz & Cook, we stick up for the rights of workers injured in industrial accidents. If harmed due to the negligence of a third party, you may need to take legal action in order to correct this or make things right following an injury or wrongful death. Our Walnut Creek personal injury lawyers handle cases of industrial accidents, construction accidents, and other workplace injuries and deaths stemming from third-party carelessness, and we are prepared to begin serving you immediately.

Call (925) 275-5592 immediately to speak to a member of our team or send us an email to get started.

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