Articles Posted in Fall Accidents

Working on ladders, especially tall ladders that lead to a roof, is extremely dangerous work.  While many people who do this type of work take safety for granted and do not worry too much about falling, it happens all the time.  Not only do workers fall off ladders and roofs all the time, these fall accidents often result in serious injury or death.

scaffoldAs for serious injury, there are not only cases with broken arms and legs, but also many cases where a worker will suffer a spinal cord injury that results in permanent paralysis.  There are also many cases where a worker who falls of a ladder or roof will suffer a serious head injury that results in permanent brain damage.  Any of these accidents can seriously affect a worker’s quality of life in a negative manner and can also have devastating and life-changing consequences for family members.  There are also many cases where falling from a high ladder or roof results in death. Continue reading

In a recent case from the South Carolina Court of Appeals, claimant was working at an employer’s big box hardware store when he was injured on the job. His injury occurred in September 2010 when he slipped and fell.  This resulted in a serious injury to his back.

stethascopeFollowing initial treatment for his back injury, claimant went to a neurologist who specialized in spinal cord injuries, and he was diagnosed with herniated disc that was compressing his spinal column, and this caused the serious pain from which he was suffering. Continue reading

According to a recent news article from Wicked Local Weymouth, a worker in Weymouth was seriously injured in a work accident that occurred when the scaffolding on which he was standing collapsed.

scaffoldAuthorities say the injured worker was installing vinyl siding on a home in the town just south of Boston when the accident occurred. He was working on scaffolding that had been erected for the purpose of doing this siding project when something went wrong. This type of scaffolding was built using wooden boards that were held in place by a device known as a pump jack. Continue reading

Any type of job that requires a worker to climb a ladder or get on a roof can be a very a dangerous job.  The potential for falling in either of these scenarios is always a concern, and work-related fall injuries can result in long-term disability and even death.

workerThere are many cases each year where workers fall from a significant height and are killed instantly.  On the other hand, some who suffer injuries in a fall will experience an open or even closed head wound and will die hours or days later at hospital.  In many cases, workers who fall from roofs survive but are left with lifelong physical injuries, mental injuries, or both.  In some cases, we have psychological damage, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and in some cases we are dealing with workers who have suffered a traumatic brain injury.  For these workers and their families, life will never be the same. Continue reading

For any workers who regularly toil on top of buildings, a fall injury is a significant risk that could result in serious injury or death.  According to a recent news article from the Patriot Ledger, a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) worker was killed when he fell off a building on which he was working in Worcester, Massachusetts.

workThe employee, who was 54 years-old at the time of this death, was working on the roof of a shopping center building that was approximately 35 feet in height. The accident occurred early in the morning, soon after he had started his shift. Continue reading

According to a recent news article from the Boston Globe, a Framingham construction worker was seriously injured in an on-the-job accident. The victim, who was 38-years-old at the time of his serious workplace accident, suffered severe injuries to his pelvis and his legs.

workAuthorities said the victim was a man who was working on the construction site when a 5,000-pound front loader with a backhoe slipped down an icy hill.  The large piece of construction equipment slipped more than 15 feet down the embankment and then crashed through a retaining walling and fell another 10 feet.  When it finally came to a stop, it landed on the worker, and he was seriously injured in this workplace accident. Continue reading

When working on a construction project, laborers are sometimes needed to toil at relatively high elevations above ground level.  Even on projects that are not in any way considered a skyscraper, falling from the height at which workers are stationed could result in serious personal injury or death.  This could be falling off scaffolding, in the case of a building that is being renovated, falling of an exposed beam or rafter in new construction, or falling down a temporary or permanent elevator.  A temporary elevator is commonly used at construction sites before the permanent elevators or escalators are up and running.

scaffoldAccording to the New York Daily News, a worker was recently critically injured when he fell down an elevator shaft.  This was his second day on the job, and he was working on a building construction project in Brooklyn. Continue reading

When we think of workers’ compensation, we typically think of someone getting hurt once he or she is already at work or on-the-clock.  There has been significant litigation about what happens when worker is injured on his or her way home from work or his or her way to work, and that is covered by what many jurisdictions refer to as the coming and going rule. It should be noted that, generally speaking, a worker is not entitled to workers’ compensation for travel to and from work absent special circumstances.

workHowever, it is close case when a worker is injured on the employer’s property, but before he or she has officially started work, or physically clocked in at a job that requires the use of a time clock.  A recent news feature from Business Insurance, a trade publication for the insurance industry, looks at a case involving a woman who was injured when she slipped and fell on an icy parking lot outside the childcare facility at which she worked.  Continue reading

According to a recent news report from WADT, a construction worker was installing insulation on a large building that was undergoing a complete renovation project when he fell two stories.  It seems the support beams under the floor on which he was standing collapsed.

constructionsite2A spokesperson from the local fire department said he fell the entire 20 feet when the floor under him gave way and he fell to the ground landing on the rubble below him.  He was seriously injured in the construction site fall.  Continue reading

The Arizona State University Sun Devil Stadium is currently undergoing a major renovation project. According to a recent news feature from The Arizona Republic, a construction worker was seriously injured when he fell approximately 30 feet from scaffolding while working at the jobsite.

mWynm5Y-300x224Authorities say he injured his head, chest, and arm from the fall.  He was treated by first responders and immediately taken to to a local level-one trauma center. Hospital officials say he is in serious condition, but he is stable and is expected to survive.  The total extent of his health condition is not known as of this time.   This accident slowed down the construction project, but work was able to resume a short time later, and construction on the stadium is expected to be complete by 2017.  This is the first renovation project in many years. Continue reading

Contact Information