A steel girder weighing 2,600 pounds fell from its rigging onto a Jersey City, New Jersey construction worker. According to the Hanover Eagle, the accident happened on a construction site at the Melanie Lane Bridge reconstruction in East Hanover Township, New Jersey. An official with the East Hanover Police reported that the girder came loose while it was being held or hoisted by the “arm” containing a vibrating hammer attached to a backhoe. The girder fell and landed on the worker, resulting in serious hip injuries. The 33-year-old worker was transported to Morristown Medical Center.
Working with large steel girders is extremely dangerous. Iron and steel workers may be responsible for moving, lifting, connecting and/or placing girders of such a great weight that significant injuries, including crush injuries, may be sustained if the heavy steel beams are negligently mishandled. Even when girders are placed properly, workers are still at risk of suffering severe burns, lacerations and falling injuries as they work from significantly high elevations while welding the beams together or otherwise affixing them to the structure.
Construction workers often suffer traumatic brain injuries, multiple bone fractures, severe lacerations, burns, sprains, strains, and neck or other spinal injuries. Whenever these types of injury causing accidents occur on a worksite, it is important for investigators to determine the cause and how it could have been prevented. It is also important for the injured victim to receive the financial and legal counsel support he or she needs to recover physically and economically.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, construction led all other industries in fatal work injuries in 2013 with 796. In 2012, there were 71,730 “incidents” or accidents involving construction workers resulting in an average loss of 11 days away from work per incident.
If injured while at work, victims of construction accidents can pursue compensation for their losses by filing for New Jersey workers’ compensation benefits, and possibly by filing third party claims against negligent people or companies if warranted. An experienced New Jersey personal injury lawyer can assist injured workers and their families in investigating and/or pursuing their potential claims, and may be able to help protect their rights. Please call the experienced attorneys at Blume Forte at 973-845-4421 to discuss your potential claim at no cost to you.