Rhode Island Construction Accident Lawyer | Slepkow Law

Construction falls from scaffolds, ladders, lifts and roofs are one of the most common causes of construction death and injuries in Rhode Island, Massachusetts (MA) and across the United States. Sadly these disasters are often deadly because they occur when a construction worker falls from dangerous high heights.

Insufficient fall protection

Anytime a construction worker is above ground level, there is a risk of serious personal injury, emergency, misfortune or casualty. There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of different types of construction accident falls that could occur in RI and MA. A competent general contractor should have proper fall protection in place to protect industrial workers from hazards and provide safety training and education to workers and construction managers.

The most common fatal and non-fatal falls include:

• A Construction worker could fall from a boom lift or while working on windows
• A roofer, construction worker, carpenter or painter falling off or plunging from a roof, ladder, scaffold or down an elevator shaft
• A worker, carpenter, subcontractor or electrician falling through or stumbling into an opening on the floor that is unprotected.
• Lethal plummet from a lift or ladder
• Falls or plummeting from collapsing or malfunctioning equipment

A construction worker taking a tumble or toppling off a platform could cause serious injury.  Sliding, plunging, or staggering off a platform can lead to serious personal injury. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has determined based on extensive data collection and research that the most fatalities / deaths  in construction site accidents are caused by four types of incidents which they call the “fatal four”. These are “Falls, Caught-In or -Between, Struck-By and Electrocution.”

Interestingly, The OSHA Training Institute published a very informative guide to preventing construction accident falls entitled: “Construction Focus Four: Fall Hazards” which stated in pertinent part: “Data from a long-term study indicates the types of falls that are causing worker deaths. In the period 1992-2005, about one-third of the fatal falls in construction were from roofs, 18% were from scaffolding or staging, 16% were from ladders, and 8% were from girders or structural steel. The other 25% of fatal falls includes falls through existing floor openings, from nonmoving vehicles, from aerial lifts, etc.”  OSHA 

Common types of injuries caused by construction falls:

• Paralysis, broken or fractured bones, amputation leg, finger
• Burns caused by fires or electrocution
• Eye injury
• Shoulder, back, neck, leg injury
• Traumatic Brain Injury TBI
• Spinal cord injury
• Cuts, bruises, lacerations
• Ankle injury
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Many construction accident cases are Rhode Island workers compensation causes of action. If you were injured in a work related accident it is crucial that you retain a top RI workers compensation attorney. However, if there is third part liability then you need a RI Comp lawyer who also is one of the best Rhode Island personal injury lawyers in the state.

Construction accidents can be tragic and deadly. There are various types of construction accidents, and preventing them requires a combination of proper training, safety protocols, and equipment maintenance. Here are some common types of deadly construction accidents and steps to prevent them:

1. Falls:
   • Provide fall protection equipment such as guardrails, safety nets, and personal fall arrest systems (harnesses and lanyards).
   • Ensure that workers are trained on proper ladder and scaffold use.
   • Keep work areas clean and organized to prevent trip hazards.
2. Struck by Objects:
   • Implement hard hat requirements for all workers.
   • Use barricades and warning signs to keep workers away from areas where objects are being lifted or moved.
   • Ensure equipment operators have proper training and maintain safe operating distances from workers on the ground.
3. Electrocutions:
   • Identify and mark electrical hazards on construction sites.
   • Ensure that workers are trained to recognize electrical hazards and maintain safe distances from power lines.
   • Inspect and maintain electrical tools and equipment regularly.
4. Caught-In/Between Accidents:
   • Provide proper machine guarding and safety devices on equipment.
   • Train workers to be aware of moving parts and pinch points.
   • Establish clear protocols for trench and excavation safety, including shoring, sloping, or shielding.
5. Fire and Explosions:
   • Store flammable materials in designated areas away from ignition sources.
   • Maintain fire extinguishers on-site and ensure workers know how to use them.
   • Conduct regular safety drills and train workers in emergency procedures.
6. Overexertion and Musculoskeletal Injuries:
   • Promote proper lifting techniques and use of lifting equipment.
   • Rotate workers in physically demanding tasks to prevent overexertion.
   • Provide ergonomically designed tools and workstations.
7. Respiratory Hazards:
   • Provide appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) for respiratory protection, such as dust masks and respirators.
   • Implement proper ventilation systems to control dust and fumes.
   • Conduct air quality monitoring to identify potential hazards.
8. Structural Collapses:
   • Ensure proper engineering and construction of buildings and structures.
   • Regularly inspect and maintain the structural integrity of buildings and scaffolding.
   • Follow safety protocols when demolishing structures.
9. Confined Space Accidents:
   • Identify and label confined spaces.
   • Train workers on confined space entry and rescue procedures.
   • Implement proper ventilation, testing, and monitoring in confined spaces.
10. Machinery Accidents:
    • Conduct regular equipment inspections and maintenance.
    • Train operators on safe machine operation.
    • Use lockout/tagout procedures when servicing equipment to prevent accidental startup.

To prevent deadly construction accidents effectively, a comprehensive safety program should be established, with ongoing training and a strong safety culture. Regular safety inspections, hazard assessments, and incident reporting are crucial components of maintaining a safe construction site. Additionally, complying with local regulations and industry standards is essential in ensuring a safe work environment.

Construction Shoring Falls

TOP Chicago Construction accident injury attorney Jonathan Rosenfeld describes shoring, “Shoring is a process used in the construction industry that involves the use of temporary structures to support unstable walls.” Rosenfeld

One of the first questions that a Rhode Island construction accident attorney  or Providence construction accident lawyer must look into is: Are ladders and lifts being used on shoring structures to protect construction workers from fatal mishaps? If your loved one, spouse or family member was killed or died as a result of a construction calamity then contact a RI wrongful death lawyer. A fatality can be devastating to a family and the loved one needs a Providence wrongful death attorney on their side.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “Fatal falls, slips, or trips took the lives of 699 workers in 2013. Falls to a lower level accounted for 574 (82 percent) of those fatalities. In 2013, the height of the fall was reported for 466 of the fatal falls to a lower level. Of those, about 1 in 4 occurred after a fall of 10 feet or less. Another one-fifth of the fatal
falls occurred from falls of over 30 feet” BLS   “In 2011, falls to lower level accounted for 553 fatal work injuries. Of those cases  where height of fall was known, 57 percent involved falls of 20 feet or less.” Id.

If you were injured in a construction accident in Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, Warwick or any other city or town then contact a Rhode Island Personal injury attorney. A RI Personal injury Lawyer will help you get the highest compensation possible

OSHA makes numerous recommendations

OSHA makes numerous recommendations to prevent falls from aerial lifts. “Fall hazards are present at most worksites and many workers are exposed to these hazards on a daily basis. A fall hazard is anything at your worksite that could cause you to lose your balance or lose bodily support and result in a fall. Any walking or working surface can be a potential fall hazard.  Any time you are working at a height of four feet or more, you are at risk. OSHA generally requires that fall protection be provided at four feet in general industry, five feet in maritime and six feet in construction. However, regardless of the fall distance, fall protection must be provided when working over dangerous equipment and machinery. The importance of fall protection cannot be stressed enough.”  OSHA 

Construction work is one of the riskiest out there.

Construction work is one of the riskiest out there. There are hundreds of fatalities every year due to on-site construction mishaps and thousands more that result in some form of bodily injury. These professionals are surrounded by machinery, power tools, hazardous materials and more. And no matter how responsible management is implementing safety measures, something can happen, hurting production, employees and the bottom line. A construction site accident is a serious matter and deserves the attention of a top Rhode Island workers compensation lawyer who is also a Rhode Island personal injury lawyer  and a  Rhode Island construction accident attorney.

11 Top Types of Construction Accidents in Rhode Island

Here are 11 of the most common accidents associated with construction work necessitating a Rhode Island construction accident attorney.

• Falling from scaffolds or other high places. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports almost 35 percent of construction accidents that lead to death are from falls.
• Slips and falls. Tools and materials left in the wrong place. Holes and uneven ground. Unseen debris. Construction sites have many hazards that have led to dangerous spills.
• Construction sites are works in progress. This means there are exposed power lines, unfinished wiring and electric systems. No one plans to make contact, but it happens.
• Falling objects, debris or materials. There’s a reason why everyone on site has to wear a hard hat. Still, that doesn’t stop everything from building materials to beams and tools from falling out of nowhere.
• Caught between materials or objects. It can happen too quickly to react. One minute you’re safe, the next, you’re pinned between machinery, fallen debris or other heavy object.
• Explosions and fire. Unfinished piping, incomplete systems, leaking gases and more all play a part in one of the most common occurrences on construction sites: fires and explosions.
• Workers are exposed to extremely humid conditions. They work in the rain if conditions allow. They often collapse under heat stroke.
• Machinery accidents. Construction workers use heavy machinery. If not managed with the utmost care and professionalism, errors have resulted in dangerous injuries.
• Vehicular accidents. Distracted drivers often pay too much attention to the operation of cranes or jackhammers. Construction workers have been hit by passing motorists distracted by work or because it was dark.
• Collapse of trenches. A trench collapsing with workers inside is a disaster. They can be hit with machinery, tools, materials or get buried in dirt.
• Respiratory diseases. In a 10 year period, over a thousand construction workers will die from pneumoconiosis, a chronic disease of dust in the lungs and other respiratory conditions.

US Department of Labor Stats- “The fatal four”

“Out of 4,386 worker fatalities in private industry in calendar year 2014, 899 or 20.5% were in construction-that is, one in five worker deaths last year were in construction. The leading causes of private sector worker deaths (excluding highway collisions) in the construction industry were falls, followed by electrocution, struck by object, and caught-in/between. These “Fatal Four” were responsible for more than half (60.6%) the construction worker deaths in 2014, BLS reports. Eliminating the Fatal Four would save 545 workers’ lives in America every year.

• “Falls — 359 out of 899 total deaths in construction in CY 2014 (39.9%)
• Electrocutions – 74 (8.2%)
• Struck by Object – 73 (8.1%)
• Caught-in/between* – 39 (4.3%)
  (*This category includes construction workers killed when caught-in or compressed by equipment or objects, and struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structure, equipment, or material) ” https://www.osha.gov/oshstats/commonstats.html United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety and Health administration, commonly used statistics.

On the job injuries lead to extensive expenses, lost income and stays away from work, as well as elevated comp claims. Do whatever it takes to safely minimize onsite accidents. If you were injured in a construction accident in Rhode island then contact a  Rhode Island construction accident attorney. A  top RI construction site personal injury attorney will also be a top Rhode Island personal injury lawyer. Providence injury attorneys  and Rhode Island construction accident attorney will help you get the compensation you need and the justice you deserve.

Construction equipment accidents

Construction equipment mishaps, construction accidents and crane accidents in Rhode Island are inevitable. These industrial accidents often result from the negligence, malfeasance and carelessness of workers, construction site managers, general contractors and subcontractors.

Crane collapse death

With increased urban development and construction in Rhode Island and across the United States, sadly we see increasing frequency of crane collapses and other construction mishaps. Unsafe cranes and negligent operation of cranes creates a substantial risk to RI construction workers and the general public. Some construction and equipment related accidents are caused by unsafe and defectively designed equipment leading to third part product liability claims. Product liability in Rhode Island is a very specialized area necessitating legal representation from a top Providence Product Liability attorney.

Commercial and industrial accident

The main focus of this commercial and industrial accident blog post is to focus on the dangers of Crane accidents as well as crane hazards in Rhode Island and in the city of Providence in particular. However, other types of construction site hazards and liabilities in RI such cannot be ignored.

According to OSHA “OSHA’s analysis also identified the major causes of crane accidents to include: boom or crane contact with energized power lines (nearly 45% of the cases), under the hook lifting device, overturned cranes, dropped loads, boom collapse, crushing by the counter weight, outrigger use, falls, and rigging failures. (3) Some cranes are not maintained properly nor inspected regularly to ensure safe operation. Crane operators often do not have the necessary qualifications to operate each piece of equipment safely, and the operator qualifications required in the existing regulations may not provide adequate guidance to employers. The issues of crane inspection/certification and crane operator qualifications and certification need to be further examined.” OSHA 

A construction worker could fall

Construction accident can also constitute your garden variety RI slip and fall premises liability accident. A construction worker could fall on defective stairs or a slippery substance.

If you were injured in a Rhode Island construction site accident, it is important that you retain one of the best RI construction accident lawyers. A Rhode Island construction accident attorney will help you get the compensation that you deserve. In the event of a construction accident causing a death then the estate  of the person killed in the industrial accident, will need to retain a Top RI wrongful Attorney for legal representation in the fatal / deadly accident claim.

There are hundreds of different construction site accidents that can occur in Rhode Island and Providence Plantations including:

• Highway construction mishaps
• Machinery Malfunction
• Forklift accidents
• Defective  and unsafe equipment
• Bulldozer accidents
• Equipment and machinery accidents
• Roof falls
• Fires, electrocution
• stairwell falls / stair falls

A construction accident could also be a motor vehicle accident suck as a truck, forklift or scissor lift crash.

Crane Accidents in RI

A Strong Gust of wind is sometimes all it takes for an improperly secured crane to topple , overturn, lurch forward, collapse or fall causing serious personal injury and death to workers and bystanders. Crane collapses frequently occur in construction zones but can also occur in the middle of a bustling city street imperiling, pedestrians, workers, cyclists and innocent bystanders.

250,000 crane operators

“More than 250,000 crane operators (1) and a very large but undetermined number of other workers and the general public are at risk of serious and often fatal injury due to accidents involving cranes, derricks, hoists, and hoisting accessories. There are approximately 125,000 cranes in operation today in the construction industry as well as an additional 80,000-100,000 in general and maritime industries. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 79 fatal occupational injuries were related to cranes, derricks, hoists, and hoisting accessories in 1993. (2) OSHA’s analysis of crane accidents in general industry and construction identified an average of 71 fatalities each year. (3) While we lack adequate worker exposure data to calculate the risk of death for the entire population exposed, the risk of death among crane operators alone is significant, corresponding to a risk of more than one death per thousand workers over a working lifetime of 45 years. OSHA is developing an action plan to gather additional information and reduce worker exposures to this hazard but is not initiating rulemaking at this time.” OSHA 

Crane collapses are often fatal

Crane collapses are often fatal and may cause massive destruction of property and motor vehicles. If a crane topples, any residences or people in the surrounding area are put in harm’s way. A crane cracking at its base can cause fatalities, catastrophic injuries and destroyed buildings.

In New York “Seven people died in the deadliest crane accident in March, 2008. A crane towering over 200 feet in the air crashed into a couple of buildings and wiped out a townhouse completely. This accident marked the worst single death toll by a crane in New York City, New York history. The disaster was a sobering moment for the city as it was two days away from its annual St Patrick’s Day celebration.” http://www.klclutch.com/cranes/10-famous-crane-collapses/

Types of Injuries resulting from Crane accidents and construction incidents

Construction accidents can result if hundreds of different types of injuries including:

• Amputation of arm, leg or foot.
• Serious burn injury
• Spinal Cord damage
• Injury to an eye or eyes
• Fractured bones or disks
• Leg, Knee, arm, or ankle injuries
• Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), Concussions and head injuries
• Shoulder and Back injury

Other types of Construction Claims in RI

“There are many different types of different construction related lift equipment such as Scissor Lifts, Boom Lifts, Forklifts, Backhoes, Cranes and Skid Steer Loaders. The focus of this Rhode Island Construction accident and premises liability post is Scissor Lifts Accidents in Rhode Island (RI) and across the United States.”

Many construction accidents in Rhode Island are in fact RI workers compensation claims in which the victim needs to retain a RI workers compensation lawyer. However, the injured worker may sue third parties for liability outside of the RI worker’s comp court restrictions.

 Unsafe and defective ladders causing falls

There are many different types of serious construction accidents that get less publicity then crane collapses and scaffolding fall ancients. These include: Nail Gun accidents,  slip and fall, trip and fall, explosions, building collapse,  unsafe and defective ladders causing falls, roofing accidents,  excavation accidents, trench accidents, and construction related pedestrian accidents as well as electrical accidents such as fires or electrocution. A construction site accident could be a child playing near  an unsecured construction site falling into a trench, ditch or unprotected hole as an attractive nuisance.

“Sadly, many accidents in Rhode Island occur on or around scaffolds in construction zones. There are numerous types of scaffold related accidents including  falls from scaffolds, slip and fall, premises liability causes of action, materials or objects falling and hitting workers or pedestrians below. Sometimes, materials falling from a scaffold could cause a RI car or truck crash. Some scaffold related accidents are deadly and the fatal accident leads to wrongful death litigation by the beneficiaries of the estate of the person killed in the mishap.”

A load falling off a pickup truck

A load falling off a pickup truck or other type of truck could cause a serious deadly RI car accident. In some cases construction equipment or objects could fall from a scaffold or crane seriously injuring pedestrians.

Michaels Smolak states: “Forklifts accidents, backhoe accidents, scissor lift accidents, masonry machinery accidents, hydraulic jack accidents, crane accidents, front-end loader accidents, boom accidents — all these and many more construction machines and equipment cause innumerable accidents and injuries every year in New York and elsewhere.” Source

If you were injured in a RI construction site accident make sure your retain a Rhode Island construction accident lawyer.

 Scaffolding Accident:

“Sadly, many accidents in Rhode Island occur on or around scaffolds in construction zones. There are numerous types of scaffold related accidents including  falls from scaffolds, slip and fall, premises liability causes of action, materials or objects falling and hitting workers or pedestrians below. Sometimes, materials falling from a scaffold could cause a RI car or truck crash. Some scaffold related accidents are deadly and the fatal accident leads to wrongful death litigation by the beneficiaries of the estate of the person killed in the mishap.”  Injurylaw

Non height related or non above ground slip and falls in RI and Mass. are beyond the scope of this construction accident fall post. For more information regarding premises liability in Rhode Island by a RI slip and fall attorney please see:

“Operating engineers and other construction equipment operators have a higher rate of injuries and illnesses than the national average. Accidents generally can be avoided by observing proper operating procedures and safety practices, but some repetitive stress injuries do occur. In addition, bulldozers, scrapers, and especially pile-drivers, are noisy and shake or jolt the operator.” BLS