Falls account for some of the most severe injuries on a construction work site. The frenetic environment of an active construction site, with its operating machinery, flow of materials and workers, and an ever-changing environment, creates a constant threat to workers. When an injury involves scaffolding on the job site, a worker may be entitled to more than just workers’ compensation for a serious injury.
How scaffolding negligence works
Scaffolding is temporary in nature, meant to provide a working space at an elevation that workers can use to access the exterior of a structure. When that scaffolding is set up incorrectly, or fails, the result could be a fall, a crushing injury or a dropped object that could impact people working below the area. Here are some of the actions that can cause a scaffolding setup to fail:
- The tasked crew may not have properly assembled the components according to the scaffolding design.
- The materials used to make the scaffolding may be of an inferior quality that can lead to a catastrophic failure when subjected to heavy weights and physical stress.
- Inexperienced workers may not be familiar with the process of setting up scaffolding or the signs of an incorrect assembly.
Pursuing a third-party claim
Third-party companies set up much of the scaffolding used at various job sites. If you receive an injury due to the negligence of this third party or a person associated with it, you may be entitled to pursuing damages beyond the workers’ compensation offered by your company. The injuries from such an accident could require years, if not a lifetime, of rehabilitative treatment and may impact your ability to pursue future work. You need proper compensation to account for those medical bills and lost wages. Explore the options available to you after a scaffolding accident.