St Louis Construction Accidents
Every week, St Louis construction workers build and improve the greater region’s critical infrastructure. While construction companies are required to maintain safe work conditions, accidents and injuries are still fairly common. Workers are surrounded by hazards such as potentially dangerous equipment, heavy machinery, and poorly maintained buildings.
St Louis construction workers deserve safe working environments. On-the-job injuries can affect someone for life while they deal with financial, physical, and legal burdens. While a workplace injury can be taxing and distressing, St Louis area construction workers and their families do not have to handle their cases alone. Read on to learn more about St Louis construction accident resources, care, and treatment.
How Common are St Louis Construction Site Accidents?
Construction is one of the more dangerous occupations in Missouri and across the country. Even with increased regulations, training, and safety standards — accidents at construction sites are still common. The following information provided by the Missouri Department of Labor and Industrial Relations covers work-related injuries and fatalities in Missouri in 2018:
- There were 4,977 construction injury instances with 640 accounting for cases resulting in time away from work.
- The construction industry had 16 workplace fatalities in 2018.
- St Louis City had 6,639 total work injury incidents and 10 fatalities. St Louis County had 11,023 injury incidents with 9 fatalities.
- Missouri had 102 total workplace fatalities in 2018. This decreased from 118 in 2017.
- Workplace injury incidents in the state increased from 99,743 in 2017 to 101,877 in 2018.
Common Construction Accident Injuries
Construction is consistently ranked as one of the United States’ most dangerous occupations, and it is a field with one of the highest rates of on-the-job injuries. These injuries range from minor to severe, and some end up being fatal. The most common construction site injuries are:
Construction Site Fatalities
Electrocutions
Electrocutions comprised 86 (8.5%) of construction worker deaths.
Caught In-between Objects
Includes instances where workers were caught in or compressed by objects or equipment, or crushed, struck, or caught by collapsing structures, equipment, and materials. These situations comprised 55 (5.5%) of construction deaths.
Examples of St. Louis Construction Accidents
Construction accidents & workplace accidents are fairly common in the greater St. Louis areas. Some notable instances of construction accidents in St. Louis include:
Shrewsbury Crane Accident Death
The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that a worker was killed after being struck by a crane at a Metropolitan Sewer District construction site in Shrewsbury, a St Louis suburb. The worker worked for contractor SAK Construction and was helping complete the Deer Creek tunnel project. The federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration sent an investigator to the scene.
Centene Building Fall
According to KMOV 4, a construction worker fell two stories while working at the Centene Building in Clayton, Missouri. The worker was injured when the building’s aluminum flooring gave way. KMOV reported that the worker was alert while being taken to the hospital. The site was temporarily shut down for investigation.
Two Workers Fall to Death at Downtown Construction Site
Two workers died after falling down an elevator shaft at a downtown St Louis construction site on Washington Avenue. The St Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the workers were in a basket that was suspended six stories high inside the elevator shaft when a safety cable snapped. GenCorp Services, the company that hired the workers, said the basket and cable had been inspected.
How Do I File a Complaint against a St Louis Construction Company?
Employers are legally obligated to provide safe working conditions that are free of hazards. If you believe that your construction site is unsafe, first speak with your construction site manager or employer. If they do not adequately address your concerns, you have federal legal protection. A St Louis construction accident lawyer can help you further understand your rights and help you file an OSHA Safety and Health Complaint or Whistleblower Complaint.
How to File a St. Louis Workplace Safety and Health Complaint
OSHA gives workers and their representatives the right to confidentially file safety and health complaints or to request an OSHA workplace inspection if they believe that their employer is not following OSHA standards. Employees should file complaints as soon as possible. Signed complaints are more likely to result in on-site inspections.
How to File a St Louis Workplace Whistleblower Complaint
Employees have the right to file an OSHA whistleblower complaint if they believe their employer retaliated against them for exercising their OSHA workplace protection rights.
To learn more about filing a construction workplace complaint, visit the OSHA File a Complaint page.
Suffered Injury on St. Louis Construction Site?
Construction site accidents are common, and it’s important that workers are prepared to handle these situations. The following steps can lessen the gravity of the injury and increase the chances for compensation. These are the steps to take after a construction site injury:
Mitigate Injuries and Losses
It’s crucial that you seek medical treatment as soon as possible. Mitigation is important for your recovery and health, and it increases the likelihood of a successful claim. The immediacy in which you seek care and the range of your treatment will have a significant impact on your construction accident damages and settlement. Read on to learn more about St Louis construction injury treatment options.
Report the St. Louis Construction Accident
Report and document your injuries with a construction site manager or employer. Proper documentation of the accident and injuries will help build your potential construction accident settlement. Takedown the contact information of any witnesses who can verify your claims. Gather and preserve evidence that further proves your construction site injury. Take photos of both the location of the accident and your injuries. If you are able, obtain or preserve any objects related to your injury.
Contact an experienced St Louis Construction Accident Lawyer
Working with an experienced construction injury attorney will help ensure that you have a strong case. Legal representation increases your chances of gaining full compensation for your damages including injuries, medical bills, and lost wages. Be aware of Missouri’s statute of limitations and make sure to file your personal injury claim on time. Contact TorHoerman Law to learn more about working with our successful team of construction accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys.
Treatment in St. Louis Area
If you were involved in a construction accident in St Louis, contact emergency services and seek out quality medical care and treatment. Construction injury treatment options include medications, therapies, and surgeries. Quality construction injury treatment is available at many St Louis hospitals and medical centers.
Hospitals near St Louis, Missouri
Hospitals in the St. Louis area include:
Barnes-Jewish Hospital
St. Louis, Missouri, 63110 phone: 314-747-3000
Missouri Baptist Medical Center
St. Louis, Missouri, 63131 phone: 773-702-1000
St Luke’s Hospital-Chesterfield
Chesterfield, Missouri, 63017 phone: 317-434-1500
Mercy Hospital St Louis
St.Louis, Missouri, 63141 phone: 314-251-6000
SSM Health St Clare Hospital-Fenton
Fenton, Missouri, 63026 phone: 636-496-2000
Types of Construction Accident Lawsuit Claims
Construction accident lawsuits differ from case to case and can include a variety of practice areas and injury cases. If you were injured on the job, there are several legal avenues for you to consider, and you might be entitled to financial compensation. Contact an experienced construction accident lawyer to learn more about your legal options.
Personal Injury Claim
Personal injury lawsuits cover any injuries, damages, or loss of the body, mind, or emotional well-being (ex: car accidents or a worker’s compensation claim). Personal injury lawsuits require the plaintiff to prove that his or her injury resulted from third-party negligence. In cases of construction accident personal injury lawsuits, the worker’s damages would be due to the employer’s negligence. Working with a personal injury law firm can help you better understand your workers’ rights and legal options. Your construction accident may be covered under worker’s compensation. You should talk to a St Louis construction accident lawyer about the possibility that your accident is covered under St Louis worker’s compensation.
Product Liability Claim
Product liability lawsuits cover instances where a product malfunctions by a design defect, marketing defect, or manufacturing defect. If a defective product causes worker or consumer injury, it can be considered unreasonably dangerous. Product liability attorneys can help injured employees determine which companies are liable for their damages.
Wrongful Death Claim
If your family member was killed on the job, you and your family could be eligible for compensation with a wrongful death settlement. A St Louis wrongful death lawyer works to help families prove that the death was due to another person’s, or company’s, negligence or misconduct. Workplace wrongful death lawsuits can help families earn punitive, economic, and non-economic damages.
Filing a St Louis Construction Accident Lawsuit
When handling a construction accident, it is important that you take the proper legal and medical actions. Seek medical treatment for your injuries right away and follow the instructions given by medical personnel. This will aid in your recovery, and it’s important that you mitigate injuries to strengthen your legal case.
After taking care of any injuries, contact a St Louis construction accident lawyer for legal assistance. He or she will help you determine the best course of legal action and if a construction accident lawsuit is the best option for you. Gather evidence for your case including any relevant companies, names, photos, videos, receipts, and bills. Your lawyer will examine the facts and evidence to determine who is liable for your injuries and damages.
Hiring a St. Louis Construction Accident Lawyer
If you were injured at work, you deserve proper compensation for your injuries. At TorHoerman Law, we have a team of St Louis construction accident lawyers and personal injury attorneys with years of success in the Missouri and Illinois legal systems. Our law firm offers zero-obligation, free case consultations. We also base our services on contingency fees, meaning our clients do not pay until we have helped them earn compensation for their damages and injuries. Contact TorHoerman today to learn more about your potential construction accident lawsuit and to schedule a free consultation.
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