Accidents involving heavy equipment on construction sites that are unsafe often cause devastating injuries and deaths each year. When safety precautions are ignored or not followed properly, things can go horribly wrong with heavy equipment and workers could be placed in harm's way.

Many of these accidents can be prevented if construction companies and contractors follow regulations set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).

Workers in California must be provided with proper job and safety training. They should also be equipped with personal protective equipment and a safe work environment. When companies fail to adhere to these safety regulations putting the health and safety of their employees in jeopardy, they can be held liable for the resulting injuries and losses.

If you have been injured in a construction accident caused by defective, malfunctioning or unsafe equipment, you may have a substantial claim for damages. An experienced work injury lawyer Los Angeles, CA can help you better understand your legal rights and options.

Key Points - Table of Contents

• Common Types of Construction Equipment Accidents
• Types of Injuries After Equipment Accidents
• Liability Issues in Equipment Accidents
• Filing a Third Party Claim
• Compensation for Construction Equipment Accidents
• How a Work Injury Lawyer Can Help

Common Types of Construction Equipment Accidents

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) states that nearly 50% of all construction site fatalities involve some type of heavy equipment. This includes equipment routinely used in construction work such as excavators, graders, dump trucks, bulldozers, forklifts, backhoes, cranes, loaders, compactors and mixers.

A number of injuries are caused by equipment colliding, overturning or when workers get caught or trapped in running equipment.

Here are a few examples of construction accidents involving heavy equipment:

• Workers getting struck by equipment
• Employees getting caught in between equipment that is moving or backing up
• Laborers getting crushed or caught in running machinery
• Workers getting pinned under collapsing equipment
• Falling from equipment

Types of Injuries After Equipment Accidents

There are a number of common injury types can can happen while working at a construction site.  Accidents on construction sites that involve large equipment such as cranes, bulldozers, loaders and backhoes have the potential to cause major or even catastrophic injuries including:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Spinal cord trauma
• Burn injuries and electrocutions
• Bone fractures
• Neck and back injuries
• Amputation or loss of limbs
• Disfigurement or scarring
• Death

With these types of traumatic injuries, it is likely that workers will take longer to recover. They may also need to undergo rehabilitation and therapy. Injured workers in such situations may have a long road to recovery. They need the help, guidance and support of an experienced work injury lawyer who will take care of the claim process so they can focus on healing.

Liability Issues in Equipment Accidents

There are a number of factors that lead to heavy equipment accidents including equipment malfunctions, human error and lack of proper job or safety training. At Greenberg and Ruby, we will analyze all aspects of an equipment-related accident to determine whether negligence on the part of a general contractor, sub-contractor, maintenance company or product manufacturer caused your injuries.

Negligence in equipment accidents typically involves:

• Unsafe conditions on the property
• Lack of proper training for workers
• Unsafe equipment operation
• Negligence on the part of supervisors
• Equipment malfunction
• Inherent defects or design flaws in the equipment
• Lack of proper equipment inspection and maintenance
• Violation of OSHA safety regulations

Filing a Third Party Claim

You may be eligible to receive much more than workers' compensation benefits after a heavy equipment construction accident. Workers' compensation is inadequate when it comes to covering all losses sustained by an injured worker or the family of a deceased worker.

Depending on the facts and circumstances of an equipment accident, a worker may be able to seek compensation by filing a third-party claim

A third-party claim is essentially a personal injury lawsuit filed against a third party, other than the employer, whose negligence caused or contributed to the equipment accident. Examples of third parties include general contractors, sub-contractors, property owners, product manufacturers, maintenance companies, etc.

Our California work injury lawyers in Los Angeles can help injured victims and families determine if they can sue third parties. These types of claims are worth substantially more than workers' comp claims and can help injured victims receive maximum possible compensation for their tremendous losses.  You can learn more about construction accident lawsuits by clicking here.

Compensation for Construction Equipment Accidents

Workers who have been injured in construction equipment accidents may be able to seek compensation for damages including:

• Medical expenses
• Lost income including lost future income
• Loss of earning capacity
• Cost of rehabilitative treatment and therapy
• Cost of ongoing treatment and care
• Permanent injuries
• Disabilities
• Past and future pain and suffering
• Loss of consortium
• Loss of life's enjoyment
• Emotional distress

How a Work Injury Lawyer Can Help

When you retain the services of an experienced California work injury lawyer, you know they can immediately start an independent investigation into your accident and help identify liable parties in your case. As part of the work injury claim process, a knowledgeable lawyer can also evaluate your case and determine if it involved inadequate training, blatant violations of safety standards, negligent workplace design or unsafe property conditions.

At Greenberg and Ruby Injury Attorneys, APC, you will have our lawyers who have decades of collective experience fighting for workers' rights and holding negligent parties accountable. We work on a contingency fee basis, which means you will not pay any fees unless we secure compensation for you. Call us to schedule your no-cost consultation and case evaluation.