Falls commonly result in broken bones, spinal injuries and head injuries. These injuries very often lead to time lost from work and therefore create serious financial problems for injured workers. That’s because workers’ compensation benefits are usually minimal. For example, a worker who suffers a serious spinal injury during a workplace fall may only receive 2/3 of their average weekly wage, hardly enough to keep the lights on and the bills paid.

Slip or Trip & Fall Accidents at Work

Slip or trip and fall accidents at work are one of the most common types of work accidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. They also account for the highest number of work related injuries and days off from work. Common injuries in a slip or trip and fall at work include broken bones, spinal injuries and head injuries, any one of which can lead to significant time away from work.

When a fall accident happens at work, a party (other than the employer) may be held liable. This is true even if the injured worker made a workers’ compensation claim. Maintenance companies and outside contractors can often be held liable.

The Construction Industry & Falls from Heights

Falls from heights or roofs rank high in terms of the severity of injury and are a leading cause of death in the construction industry. According to OSHA, over half of the construction industry workforce performs some work on scaffolds and heights. That is an estimated 2.3 million workers. Each year, there are roughly 4,500 injuries and 60 deaths from scaffold accidents alone. In 2018, there were 61 scaffold accident fatalities. Falls from heights at construction sites often result in catastrophic injury or are fatal. Falls from scaffolds account for roughly 25% of fatal falls from all working surfaces.

Construction or worksite fall accidents happen as a result of:

• failure to use fall protection equipment,
• falling objects,
• failure of fall protection equipment,
• failure to install guardrails,
• electrical shock accidents,
• weight capacity overloads,
• structural instability,
• negligent erection,
• failure of crossbracing, midrails, footings, platforms,
• failure to train workers about scaffold safety, or
• failure to conduct scaffold inspections.

Get Full Financial Compensation

For seriously injured workers, getting full financial compensation is of the utmost importance. What most injured workers don’t know is that they often have legal rights beyond workers’ compensation claims. In most states, injured workers have the legal right to file both a workers’ compensation claim and a tort/injury claim.

In a tort lawsuit for a work related fall accident, other parties (excluding employers) may be held liable for negligence in causing the accident. In work related fall accident lawsuits in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, the liable parties often include:

• contractors,
• subcontractors,
• equipment manufacturers, distributors and retailers for products liability claims,
• equipment rental companies, and
• service/maintenance companies.

Ultimately, these parties may be ordered to pay fair financial compensation to the injured worker. It is vital to speak to an experienced workplace fall accident lawyer as soon as possible to determine liability. You may be entitled to compensation for future pain and suffering, future medical bills/treatment and more.

Pennsylvania & New Jersey Work Fall Injury Lawyers

At the Philadelphia, PA work accident­­ law firm of Laffey, Bucci & Kent, our experienced attorneys are committed to providing quality representation and individual attention to their clients and their clients’ families.

Our highly rated Philadelphia, PA and NJ work accident lawyers and attorneys have decades of experience handling workplace fall cases. For the past decade, our work injury lawyers have been rated as top lawyers by Super Lawyer magazine. Their knowledge and expertise in dealing with defense counsel as well as insurance company representatives and adjusters can be invaluable when seeking justice in a workplace roof or fall accident injury case.

If you or a loved one has been seriously hurt or killed in a workplace fall or roof accident, contact our law firm for a free consultation. Our lawyers are licensed in multiple states including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, West Virginia, etc. Call to find out about representation in your state.