There is a reason why construction sites are as regulated as they are. The additional safety rules that pertain to a construction site are in place to try to keep people safe. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, approximately 1 in 5 workplace deaths occurs in the construction industry. The industry also accounts for 46.2% of fatal slips, trips, and falls according to that same agency. The bottom line is that it is all too easy to become injured on a construction site, and that is why anyone who works in construction or has to come in contact with a construction site must know about what to do in terms of obtaining legal counsel. 

Common Types of Construction Site Injuries

Certain types of injuries crop up more frequently on construction sites than others. Knowing what you might face as a result of being near a construction site is something that you don’t want to take lightly.

Construction sites are often bustling with activity. They are teeming with several inherent hazards that pose a risk to workers. Workers are subject to falls and tripping injuries. They must watch out for crushing and falling objects that might cause serious damage.

Even if you are completely aware of your surroundings and are putting your full focus and attention to the moving objects around you, this does not guarantee that you won’t become the victim of an accident. Human error can still occur, and you might end up with serious and costly injuries that you should not have suffered. A few of those injury types include: 

Trip and Fall Injuries

Construction workers are often asked to climb ladders or scaffolding as a routine part of the work that they do. Unfortunately, those structures can pose a trip and fall hazard. It is easy to miss a step or to have a wobbly ladder cause you to potentially fall. A trip or fall can lead to an injury almost anywhere on the body. You might harm your legs, but you might also fall over and injure another part of your body due to the weight of the rest of your body coming down on it. 

Heat Stroke

The human body is designed only to withstand a certain level of heat. When it is exposed to excessive heat and/or prolonged periods in the heat, the body is likely to react negatively to that. Heat stroke is a very real risk for construction workers, and it can lead to hospitalization or even death. Those who do not take sufficient breaks, do not stay hydrated well enough, or who are simply exposed to the heat for too long are at serious risk of developing heat stroke. If these experiences occur because of official policies of the employer, then a lawsuit may be necessary to help that employee gain compensation for what they have been through. 

Vehicular Accidents 

Many types of vehicles move around a construction site. This includes standard cars and trucks, but also forklifts and other heavy machinery as well. With all of those vehicles moving around in a confined space, the risk of a worker getting struck by one of those vehicles can be quite high. Obviously, this may injure the worker and cause them to be out of work for a significant amount of time. Once again, this is the type of injury that must be taken seriously and may require the assistance of a lawyer to help sort out. 

Steps to Take if You Have Been Injured 

There are certain steps to take in order to minimize the downsides of a potential construction site injury. Make sure you do the following: 

• Seek Medical Attention Immediately – There is nothing more important in one of these situations than your health. You must immediately seek out medical care and attention to address any injuries that you have sustained while on the job. Not only will this help you to improve your chances of recovery, but you will need an official record of the injuries, and seeking medical attention immediately is the only way to get that. 
• Contact an Attorney – Following your medical care, you should also consider reaching out to an attorney right away. The sooner that you can get in touch with an attorney, the better. He or she can begin to review your case, collect evidence, and begin to set the stage for the case that you will bring into court. 
• Retain All Medical Records – Documentation will serve a vital role in your upcoming court case, and that means you need to start retaining all of the medical records that you possibly can. These are official records that can be presented in court to help put together the most compelling case possible. Your attorney can also assist in this process. 
• Do NOT Speak to the Other Side – The employer or individual involved in your accident may attempt to reach out to you and get a statement on the record. Do NOT speak to those individuals. Direct all questions to your attorney and refuse to say anything more than that. They are not working for you, and they will try to use what you say against you in court. 

Always follow these prescribed steps to reach the results that you need following an injury on a construction site. These steps will best serve you and help you obtain the justice and compensation that you deserve. 

Do I Have a Case? 

Every case must be reviewed on an individual basis. If you reach out to injurylawyersanjose.org today and ask to speak to a San Jose construction site injury attorney, you can receive a free consultation right now. This will allow the attorney to take an initial overview of your case and make a determination about the likelihood that you have a case moving forward. You may then choose to retain that attorney and start to pursue the justice that you deserve. 

For more information about how to get started, reach out and contact us with your questions. Our attorneys will be happy to help put your mind at ease and get you on the road towards justice.