Our DE, MD, PA, and NJ construction injury lawyers handle cases involving falling objects on or near construction sites. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are more than fifty thousand reportable incidents each year in the United States involving the category “struck by falling object”. This type of construction accident is far too common. Many of these cases are completely preventable if the contractors had simply provided their workers with appropriate fall protection harnesses and tethers for themselves and their tools, and taken other appropriate safety precautions.
What types of objects may fall in construction areas?
There are many types of objects that can fall in a construction area, causing death and injury to result. Falling objects can include the following:
Human beings – human beings were designed to work on the ground. Human beings are not mountain goats – they are not designed to go high. As a result, workers at heights are required to use harnesses and tie off so if they lose balance, lose grip, or lose footing, they don’t fall and get hurt.
Equipment – construction equipment is one of the types of objects where it is very foreseeable that it would be dropped. Most equipment can be tethered or tied off to prevent injuries and deaths in the event it is dropped.
Materials – construction materials are frequently dropped during construction. Roofers drop shingles. Masons drop bricks and cement. Electricians drop conduit.
Debris – one of the most common types of objects to fall from height at a construction area would be construction debris. Debris is waste material and other scraps that are intended to be disposed of. Debris should be dropped only in an enclosed area where no one is present or should be dropped using a chute to provide protection for persons below.
What are some examples of publicized falling object construction accident cases?
According to a November 3, 2014 article on nbcnewyork.com titled Tape Measure Falls 50 Stories From New Jersey Construction Site, Kills Man: Police, a gentleman named Gary Anderson was delivering sheetrock to a construction site. While he stood on the ground, a worker fifty stories up lost his grip on his one-pound tape measure. The tape measure was not tied off and fell down, striking Mr. Anderson on the head and killing him.
An article published on September 15, 2017, at cbs46.com titled Construction worker crushed by falling equipment in Atlanta details the very unfortunate case of Luis DeLeon, Jr. Mr. DeLeon was only twenty years old when a vat of cement fell from a crane and struck and killed him.
If you or a loved one have been injured or killed as a result of a construction accident involving a falling object, please contact us to learn more about your legal rights. And if you are an attorney researching falling object construction injuries, please contact us to learn more about opportunities to co-counsel. We have the resources to help you prosecute your client’s catastrophic construction accident case.
