Construction workers are not the only people in harm’s way at a worksite. Visitors and deliverymen at construction sites, as well as general public passers by can be injured without warning in a New Jersey construction accident.
At any construction site, there may be potential hazards such as live wires, trenches, power tools, and falling objects.
Accidents vary in their nature and severity. In one incident in Jersey City, New Jersey, a man was killed by a tape measure that fell from above. In that particular construction accident, a 58-year-old independent trucking company employee was killed while making a delivery to a New Jersey construction site, when a tape measure fell from a worker’s belt from 50 stories up. According to a news report in The Daily Record, the accident occurred at a downtown Jersey City construction site. Officials stated that the one-pound tape measure fell from the 50th floor, first struck some construction equipment and then hit the deliveryman as he stopped to speak with another worker. The victim sustained head injuries that proved fatal. His hard hat was reportedly in his truck at the time of the accident.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 717 fatal work injuries resulting from contact with equipment and objects.
The majority of construction site accidents can be prevented by following safety procedures and protocols. When investigating a fatal accident, officials and qualified attorneys investigating potential claims will attempt to discover if materials were properly secured, if workers were properly trained and if safety measures, regulations, protocols and guidelines were followed.
Anyone who is injured on the job or who has lost a loved one in a workplace accident may be able to pursue compensation for their losses by filing for New Jersey Workers’ Compensation benefits, and possibly by filing third-party claims if warranted (against those whose careless and negligent acts and/or omissions caused the accident or injury). An experienced New Jersey Construction Accident lawyer and a New Jersey Workers’ Compensation lawyer may be able to assist those who have been injured on the job, including workers and their families.
Please contact the experienced attorneys at Blume Forte Fried Zerres & Molinari at 973-845-4421 to discuss your potential claim.