Ohio Lawyers Representing Injured Workers in Scaffold Accident Litigation
Working with heavy equipment and building materials is difficult, especially when it is done many feet in the air. Without proper safety protections, working on a roof or on scaffolding can be dangerous. Falls from scaffolding can cause very serious injuries, including spinal cord injury, brain injury and wrongful death.
At Friedman, Domiano & Smith, our attorneys help file workers' compensation claims on behalf of injured workers. We also file personal injury lawsuits against subcontractors or the makers of defective scaffolding and ladders. While a lawsuit cannot undo the injuries suffered in a scaffold accident, a successful result can compensate an injured worker for his or her injuries. Additionally, a successful claim can teach employers that preventing scaffold accidents is an important matter that should be taken seriously.
Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, is the main federal agency charged with enforcing laws that protect the health and safety of American workers. According to OSHA, falls are the most frequent cause of wrongful death at construction sites. Each year, they account for one out of every three construction site deaths.
In order to prevent scaffold accidents, OSHA requires that employers follow certain safety measures. When employers fail to do so, they should be held accountable for their employee's injuries. There are many ways that employers' actions can put workers at risk of scaffold accidents:
- Not assembling scaffolding according to the manufacturer's instructions
- Failing to install required guardrail systems along the sides and at ends of platforms
- Not requiring the use of personal fall arrest systems, like body harnesses, or not providing enough for all workers
- Not limiting access to the scaffold platforms to only those with safety training
- Failing to provide safe access to scaffold platforms
Contact Us at 866-636-8367
For more information about the law on scaffold, roof and ladder falls, contact Friedman, Domiano & Smith by calling us at 866-636-8367 or completing our online contact form. Initial consultations are free and confidential. Our main law office is located in Cleveland. We maintain other offices throughout Ohio.
