Falls a Leading Cause of Death in Texas Construction Accidents

Construction work is some of the most lucrative in the United States when the economy is in good shape. These past few years have been a struggle for anyone in the industry.

The unfortunate side effect of this problem is that people who are lucky enough to land a construction job are likely to overlook safety infractions as a trade-off for keeping the job. This has the potential to end badly for someone.

The personal injury lawyers in Houston at Baumgartner Law Firm have been winning huge severe injury and wrongful death settlements from construction fall cases for decades. Let us help you!

Falls Account for Most of The Fatal Construction Accidents

OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) states that ‘falls’ account for a third (one of every three construction-related deaths) of the fatalities in construction and are the leading cause of death overall. (Frankly, falls are a deadly problem in all industries (roofing, electrical work, etc.) – nearly half of all fatal falls happen when individuals topple from roofs, ladders, and scaffolding.)

Once a worker is above the first floor, he or she may fall because of the multiple factors that put them in danger, including everything from unprotected sides to openings in the walls and floor, improper scaffold construction, and even misuse of portable ladders. There are a number of suggestions that construction sites can employ to prevent deadly falls, including guardrails, restraints, and more.

Construction employees are advised to (or a person who works ‘off the ground’) ask the employers for the ‘fall’ prevention plan. Then use it.

There are many different kinds of fall protection; some are more affected than others. Even with fall protection equipment, a construction worker is not guaranteed that he will not get injured or killed in a fall. Fall equipment can fail, and employers can fail to implement proper fall protection procedures as required by OSHA.

Our Construction Accident Cases Have Resulted in Changes to Fall Equipment

Just having fall protection is not enough; the safety equipment itself must be effective in saving lives.

Construction accident lawyers at Baumgartner Law Firm have won record settlements for wrongful death cases,and have been responsible for product manufacturers making safety changes to their fall protection products. We are proud that our advocacy will save lives!

OSHA Fall Protection Rules

Employers have certain obligations related to fall protection for the safety of their employees. Under OSHA fall protection guidelines, employers must:

Place guards on every floor hole
install guardrails and toeboards
provide guardrails regardless of height to prevent falls into dangerous equipment
when appropriate, provide safety harnesses and lines, handrails, and safety nets.

Additionally, OSHA requires employers to:

keep working conditions free of known dangers
keep floors clean and as dry condition as possible
provide personal protective equipment
adequately trained workers about job hazards

OSHA is not Always Helpful to the Victim After a Construction Accident

Usually, after a fatal accident, OSHA will investigate the incident and prepare an initial report based on their findings. Most of the time, the company will seek to negotiate a settlement after an OSHA violation to prevent the OSHA citation from being admissible in the ensuing wrongful death lawsuit or personal injury case.

If you have lost a loved one, call a Houston construction accident lawyer at Baumgartner Law Firm ASAP to prevent the destruction of vital evidence.