If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in an accident, it is important that you begin looking out for your best interests.

Fatal construction accident statistics show increase

by | Jan 12, 2017 | Uncategorized

Construction workers in Illinois and across the nation are aware of the litany of dangers they inevitably face on the job. The sheer nature of the work lends itself to a certain amount of risk of injury and even death of a worker in the course of employment. Regardless of the cause of the accident and death, it is important that those who have been affected understand how to pursue compensation after the fact.

Government agencies like the Department of Labor keep track of these incidents to determine their causes and how to prevent them. The latest report examines 2015 and showed that the number of deaths due to a construction accident on the jobsite was the highest it has been in seven years. The report was released in mid-December 2016 and showed that the number of fatalities for private-sector construction reached 937. This was a rise of four percent and the most deaths since 2008 when there were 975. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also stated that the rate of fatal construction accidents rose to 10.1 for every 100,000 workers who are employed full-time in the industry. That is an increase from 9.8 in 2014.

The biggest factor in the increase was the higher number of deaths for those in a specialty trade. For example, deaths among construction employees who were involved with structure and building exterior and foundation rose by 27 percent to 231. The number of construction workers who were injured and not killed was also higher than it has been in the past. The rise was less than one percent from 4,821 to 4,836. That too is the highest since 2008.

One of the worst calls a family can receive is when their loved one has died in a fatal construction accident. These can occur for a number of reasons including negligence on the part of the employer, a mistake by a worker, or a faulty tool or piece of equipment. With a work-related accident, it is imperative to have a full investigation with the interests of the victim’s family in mind. To ensure that the loved ones’ rights are protected, speaking to a lawyer who is experienced in pursuing cases related to construction negligence is the first step toward being compensated in a lawsuit.

Source: enr.com, “Construction Fatalities Climb in 2015 to 7-Year High,” Tom Ichniowski, Dec. 19, 2016

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