Construction sites are common places for workplace injuries, but you don’t have to be a construction worker to get injured. Each year, people who are simply visiting or passing by a work site suffer serious injuries.
Whether you were biking, driving, or walking by a work site, if you’re injured, contact Flaxman Law Group for a free consultation with a South Florida injury attorney. We can review what happened and whether you might have a claim.
How Do Construction Site Accidents Happen?
When you’re visiting a construction site or walking, driving, or biking past it, there are several ways you may be injured:
- Falling debris, including equipment, tools, and building materials can fall from heights and hit you.
- Cranes and other equipment can collapse or fall over, potentially causing crushing or other injuries.
- Spills or debris that are on sidewalks or roadways near construction sites can cause slip and fall, trip and fall, or even traffic accidents.
- Heavy machinery and construction vehicles may exit the construction site, putting others at risk of collisions or pedestrian accidents.
- Chemicals on site may spill or leak, putting everyone in the area at risk of toxic chemical exposure.
- Electrical work, fallen electrical wires, welding and exposed wires can put you at risk of burns and electrocution.
- At sites with excavation work, ground collapses and sinkholes can pose a potentially fatal danger to cars and pedestrians.
- Explosions and fires can sometimes happen at construction sites, and if proper precautions aren’t taken anyone in the area can be in immediate danger.
When construction companies, governments, and developers need to build or conduct repairs on infrastructure or buildings, they need to create a safe area not just for workers but for all people in the area, including passersby. This may mean creating barriers and clear signage or even having workers outside the site to direct car and pedestrian traffic.
If you are injured because you passed a construction site, it’s likely that proper safety standards were violated. You may have a right to seek compensation for your injuries and for the time you lose at work, which can be crucial to getting back on your feet after a serious injury.
However, these cases can be complex. There may be multiple liable parties, including general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and other parties. In addition, it’s not uncommon for pedestrians and passersby to be blamed in this situation. You may be told that you should have been more careful around a construction site, but remember that it is the duty of the construction companies and property owners to make sure their construction sites are safe for their workers and the general public.
In this situation, always get prompt medical attention and reach out to a South Florida accident attorney as soon as you can. Reaching out quickly can help protect your right to compensation. Fortunately, you can call Flaxman Law Group 24/7 at 866-352-9626 and you’ll always reach a live person who can help. Set up a free consultation with a South Florida accident attorney at Flaxman Law Group. There’s no obligation, so you can find out how much compensation you may be eligible for before you make any decisions about what to do next.