Falls From Heights
Falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, elevated platforms, unfinished structures, and other heights can cause catastrophic trauma.
Construction sites combine heights, heavy machinery, moving vehicles, electrical hazards, tools, equipment, and multiple contractors in one dangerous environment.
The Piri Law Firm represents people throughout Dallas–Fort Worth after serious construction-site accidents caused by negligent companies, contractors, property owners, equipment failures, and other responsible parties.
Potentially. Construction accidents can involve employers, general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, drivers, and other companies. Depending on the facts, an injured person may have claims against one or more parties whose negligence or defective products caused or contributed to the accident.
Determining what happened requires examining the physical site, work being performed, equipment involved, contractor relationships, safety procedures, witness accounts, photographs, records, and other available evidence.
Falls from scaffolds, ladders, roofs, elevated platforms, unfinished structures, and other heights can cause catastrophic trauma.
Tools, materials, debris, equipment, and unsecured loads can strike workers or visitors below.
Excavators, loaders, cranes, forklifts, lifts, and other machinery can cause crushing, impact, rollover, and caught-between injuries.
Exposed wiring, energized equipment, power lines, defective tools, and unsafe electrical practices can cause burns and severe injury.
Scaffolding, trenches, temporary structures, walls, floors, and other construction components can collapse when improperly designed or maintained.
Delivery trucks, construction vehicles, forklifts, and other moving equipment create additional collision and pedestrian hazards on active sites.
Equipment may be moved, debris removed, temporary structures changed, contractors leave the site, and surveillance footage can be overwritten. Early investigation can be especially important in a serious construction accident.
The investigation should identify the dangerous condition, unsafe act, equipment problem, structural failure, or other event that caused the injury.
General contractors, subcontractors, property owners, vendors, equipment companies, and other parties may have different responsibilities on a jobsite.
Photos, surveillance footage, equipment, inspection records, work orders, contracts, incident reports, and witnesses may help establish responsibility.
Medical records should document diagnosis, treatment, surgery, rehabilitation, restrictions, prognosis, disability, and expected future care.
The force involved in falls, machinery accidents, crushing events, electrical incidents, and structural failures can produce injuries requiring surgery, hospitalization, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
Emergency treatment, hospitalization, surgery, specialist care, therapy, medication, and future medical needs may become substantial.
Serious injuries can prevent a person from returning to construction work or reduce long-term earning capacity.
Brain, spinal, orthopedic, burn, amputation, and other catastrophic injuries can permanently change physical function.
Physical pain, limitations, loss of independence, and disruption of ordinary activities can continue long after the accident.
Modern construction projects often involve owners, developers, general contractors, subcontractors, equipment providers, material suppliers, transportation companies, and other businesses. Identifying each party's role can be critical to understanding responsibility and available sources of recovery.
Related injury pages provide additional information about some of the most serious consequences of construction-site accidents.
Permanent disability, reduced independence, extensive medical care, and substantial lifetime losses.
Explore →Falls and impacts can cause cognitive, neurological, behavioral, and functional impairment.
Explore →Serious trauma can cause weakness, sensory loss, mobility impairment, and paralysis.
Explore →Machinery and crushing accidents can result in traumatic amputation or injuries requiring surgical amputation.
Explore →Electrical incidents, explosions, fires, chemicals, and hot materials can cause severe burn injuries.
Explore →Heavy equipment, collapsing materials, vehicles, and machinery can cause devastating compression injuries.
Explore →Falls and equipment accidents can cause complex fractures, joint injuries, surgery, and lasting mobility limitations.
Explore →Explore the broader Dallas–Fort Worth personal injury practice.
Explore →Depending on the circumstances, there may be claims against contractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, drivers, vendors, or other responsible third parties. The available claims depend on the facts and the relationship between the injured person and the parties involved.
A construction project can involve multiple companies with different responsibilities. Investigation may identify more than one party whose conduct contributed to the accident.
Potentially important evidence includes photographs, video, witness information, incident reports, equipment, maintenance records, inspection documents, work orders, contracts, safety records, and medical documentation.
A defective machine, tool, safety device, or other product may create additional issues involving the manufacturer, distributor, maintenance provider, or other responsible parties.
Texas generally applies a two-year limitations period to personal injury claims, although exceptions can apply. Construction-site evidence should often be preserved much sooner.
Tell us where the construction accident occurred, what work was being performed, which companies were present, what equipment or condition caused the injury, and what medical treatment you have required.