Bronx Personal Injury Attorney Can Assist You with Compensation Claim

An unidentified 22-year-old construction worker was buried by dirt in the construction site he was working on, as reported by DNAinfo New York. The man was a member of the construction crew that dug below the foundation of a building in the Meatpacking District and made a wooden support structure. As he tried to get out, dirt fell and buried him up to his neck. When the emergency response team dug him out, he was no longer breathing. He was rushed to the hospital, but was pronounced dead later on. Investigation of the incident is currently ongoing.

Construction Accidents

As that report clearly shows, construction is dangerous work. This is not an isolated incident, too, or just people’s perception, but rather, a fact backed by data. No less than The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has found that every year, one out of ten construction workers suffer from injury at work. Furthermore, throughout a 45-year career, there is a three out of four chance of suffering from a disabling injury, and one in 200 chance of fatal injury for a construction worker, according to a study conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training in 2011.

With the dangerous nature of construction work, it is not surprising that it is one of the industries to receive the most attention from the OSHA. There are numerous standards and regulations that the organization implements to make sure that companies uphold the rights of their employees. One of those rights is to be kept safe while at work, the responsibility of which falls to the owner or employers. If an accident occurs and the root cause is neglect from the company to follow safety standards, the victim or his family can—and should—seek the help of a Bronx personal injury attorney to file a claim for compensation.

Compensation for Construction Accidents

Depending on the extent of the employer’s liability, a person injured from a construction accident may be entitled to compensation, which includes medical expenses and lost wages. In some cases, this may cover vocational rehabilitation if the injured person can no longer return to their former job because of the injury.

Remember that the compensation claim is not a lawsuit, but rather a request for benefits with a process similar to insurance claims. The process starts with reporting the incident, so the claimant should accomplish a claim form and file it immediately.

Also, it is best to get assistance from a reliable Bronx injury attorney, from firms like The Law Offices of Joseph Lichtenstein, who will review your claim and guide you towards the right course of action.

(Source: Man Dies In Collapse At Pastis Construction Site, Police Say, DNAinfo New York, Apr. 6, 2015)