Construction Site Accidents Lawyers in Seattle

Workers in the construction field face hazardous conditions on a daily basis. Common construction accidents include falls from significant heights and heavy machinery accidents, often resulting in catastrophic, permanent injuries.

Seattle personal injury lawyer Pino Certa has helped numerous construction site accidents victims recover for their injuries and gain compensation for pain, suffering, disability, disfigurement and loss of enjoyment of life. He can fully explain when you can seek compensation for work-related injuries as well as compensation from a negligent third party. Contact his King County law office at 888.314.8572 for a free evaluation of your construction site accident claim.

Key Statistics on Construction Site Accidents from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)

OSHA 2005 data on construction site injuries:

• Nearly 6.5 million people work at approximately 252,000 construction sites across the nation on any given day. The fatal injury rate for the construction industry is higher than the national average in this category for all industries.
• OSHA estimates that there are 24,882 injuries and as many as 36 fatalities per year due to falls on stairways and ladders used in construction. Nearly half of these injuries were serious enough to require time off the job.
• Approximately 100 employees are fatally injured and approximately 95,000 employees are injured every year while operating powered industrial trucks. Forklift turnover accounts for a significant number of these fatalities.
• Each year, falls consistently account for the greatest number of fatalities in the construction industry.

Potential hazards for workers in construction include:

• Falls (from heights)
• Trench collapse
• Scaffold collapse
• Electric shock and arc flash/arc blast
• Failure to use proper personal protective equipment
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Struck by moving vehicles

From 2004 data, the ten OSHA standards most frequently cited in accident reports were:

• Scaffolding Fall protection (scope, application, definitions)
• Excavations (general requirements)
• Ladders
• Head protection
• Excavations (requirements for protective systems)
• Hazard communication
• Fall protection (training requirements)
• Construction (general safety and health provisions)
• Electrical (wiring methods, design and protection)

Liability for Construction Site Accidents in Washington

The general contractor ultimately has the responsibility to ensure his or her work site is safe in Washington State. Also potentially responsible for construction site safety are the employers and any subcontractors working on the site.

If something you did may have caused your injury, Washington State law allows for proportional shares of fault, meaning you would be held responsible for only part of the injury, and you may be able to seek damages from the general contractor or employer for the remaining part.

Should you choose to pursue legal action, you would be well advised to retain a personal injury lawyer with solid knowledge of Washington State construction site accident law. Any construction site accident claims must be coordinated with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries, and the laws around work site accidents are complex. Seattle attorney Pino Certa is skilled in handling Washington construction site accidents claims, and will guide you through the process of seeking damages for your work-related injuries. Call 888.314.8572 for a free evaluation of your situation.

Our law firm is conveniently located in Seattle, in the Columbia Center and near City Hall. We have assisted clients from Seattle, Tacoma, Kent, and Everett and throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish Counties achieve successful outcomes to their personal injury cases.

Certa Law Group is experienced in handling personal injury cases including, but not limited to, car and motorcycle accidents, construction site accidents, premises liability, product liability, medical malpractice, dog bites, elder abuse and insurance claim disputes.