In certain lines of work, risk is an everyday part of the job. Many people assume that the most dangerous professions involve police work or firefighting, but statistics show that construction is actually one of the riskiest lines of work.
Construction accidents leave tens of thousands of people injured each year, and result in nearly 1,000 deaths on an annual basis. Here, the experienced attorneys at Smith & Baltaxe, LLP present some construction accident statistics that help our San Francisco, CA clients understand the dangerous nature of this line of work.
Construction Workers Injured on the Job
Any worker has the potential to be injured on the job. However, worksite injuries are more common among construction workers. These statistics show how serious the risk of an injury is for those in the field of construction:
- Based on data collected by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one in 10 construction workers are injured each year
- The Bureau of Labor states that accidents are more likely among new workers, with 60 percent of construction workplace injuries occurring within an employee’s first year of work
- OSHA also reports that, on average, one in five (or 20 percent) of annual worker deaths occurs in the field of construction
- Research conducted by the Center for Construction Research and Training (CCRT) found that nearly all construction workers will have at least one work-related injury during the span of their career
- In the same study, the CCRT found that, within a 45-year career, construction workers have a 75 percent chance of suffering a disabling injury and a 1 in 200 chance of being killed on the job
- According to the U.S. National Library of Medicine, the construction industry is second only to the field of agriculture when it comes to teenage worker deaths
Fatal Four Injuries
While construction work has many potential sources of danger, OSHA has determined the four most common causes of construction accident deaths. Based on data collected by OSHA, the following “fatal four” accidents, combined, account for more than half of construction accident deaths each year:
- Falls, which are the cause of just under 40 percent of annual construction accident deaths
- Being struck by an object, which makes up nearly 10 percent of construction accident deaths
- Electrocutions, which are responsible for around 8 percent of annual construction accident deaths
- Caught-betweens (or crushing accidents), which are responsible for roughly 7 percent of construction accident deaths
Compensation for Damages
When a construction worker is injured or killed, the losses can be catastrophic. Injury victims or surviving family members will be left with staggering physical, emotional, and financial damages. It is important that victims be adequately compensated for the full extent of losses stemming from a construction accident.
The experienced attorneys at Smith & Baltaxe, LLP can be invaluable when it comes to seeking compensation for damages. We highly recommend that all construction accident victims consider working with our experienced attorneys to protect their legal rights.
Learn More
If you have been involved in a construction accident and would like to learn more about your legal right to financial compensation, contact us at your earliest convenience. You can set up a personal consultation with one of the experienced attorneys at Smith & Baltaxe, LLP.
