If you or someone you love has suffered from a falling debris accident, it is in your best interest to hire a dedicated law firm that can help you get the compensation you deserve. At Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, our Philadelphia falling debris attorneys have years of experience fighting for injury victims across the city – and recovering substantial awards on their behalf.
We have the knowledge, experience, and extensive resources to seek out all the damages you are entitled to for the injuries you’ve suffered. We are compassionate but doggedly aggressive in fighting for the rights of our clients who are suffering injuries caused by the negligent actions of others. Call our law office to arrange a free consultation to learn more.
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Why Hire Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers After A Falling Debris Accident?
At Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, we represent injury victims across Philadelphia who have been injured in a construction accident that involves falling debris.
Our attorneys zealously advocate for clients who are victims of construction debris.
We thoroughly investigate to determine the party or parties that may be held responsible for the accident.
We consult with various experts to help us adequately understand the events that resulted in the injury.
These range from construction managers, designers, engineers, safety experts to any other specialist who can strengthen the case.
We strive to understand the impact of the injuries on your life to build a strong case that tells your story and wins in court.
Depending on the type of accident, a falling debris victim may be able to seek workers’ compensation or sue the liable party for damages.
Our Philadelphia personal injury lawyers are ready to put more than 80 years of combined experience to work for you. Give us a call to find out how to get us in your corner as you fight for the compensation you deserve.
Falling Debris – What Does It Mean?
On construction sites, falling debris is a common cause of injuries. Construction tools, loose tiles, supplies, objects, and debris dropped from a height can result in severe injuries and wrongful death.
It is not shocking that the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) declared getting struck by a falling object as the second leading cause of fatal accidents in the construction industry.
Being struck by an object is listed among OSHA’s fatal four construction accidents alongside falls, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. Together, the fatal four accounted for 58.6% of all construction worker deaths in 2018.
Falling debris is made even more dangerous by the fact that small fragments, when dislodged or dropped from a significant height, can become deadly projectiles.
Falling Debris on Construction Workers
It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that all necessary precautions are taken in order to ensure the safety of all workers. Regardless of how alert or experienced construction workers may seem, they remain at risk of being struck by falling objects. This is especially true for very busy sites with multiple contractors and subcontractors.
In such scenarios, there are people performing different tasks, some at ground level and some at heights. Those working well above the surface may be handling heavy materials that could prove disastrous if dropped.
Falling debris scenarios that can occur on a construction site include:
- Demolition of a building
- A crane dropping cargo or building materials
- A worker dropping a tool accidentally while working at a height
What is more tragic is that many of these incidents could have been prevented if contractors, employers, and other parties in charge of worker safety adhered to proper safety regulations.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) offered the following safety tips in avoiding injuries caused by flying and falling objects:
- While on a construction site, wear a hardhat at all times.
- Avoid working directly beneath a load that is being moved by a hoist, crane, or other tools.
- Post warning signs and barricade hazard areas in locations where work is being performed overhead
- Properly secure tools, building materials, and other objects to ensure they do not fall on people below
- Utilize canopies, nets, or other relevant platforms to catch falling debris or objects
Injured Pedestrians at Construction Sites
Construction workers are not the only ones at risk of being hit by a falling object at a construction site. Pedestrians and bicyclists passing by are also in danger of being struck by falling debris that may have accidentally dropped when construction is being done near a pedestrian walkway.
In cases such as this, it is crucial that legal responsibility is determined. It could be the liability of the construction company, building owner, product manufacturer, or a different party entirely.
Causes of Falling Debris at Construction Sites
Our personal injury lawyers have represented several injured construction workers who tripped on debris such as piles of dust, rope, garbage, oils and liquids, wire spools, and tools left out.
Some of the causes of falling debris at construction sites are
- Equipment malfunction: The tools used to secure objects must be inspected regularly to ensure that the construction site is safe.
- Load not secured properly: Several construction sites have tall scaffolding, and tools and materials are normally stored at such heights. When not secured safely, tools can easily fall and injure people on the ground.
- Barricade: One major cause of pedestrians suffering falling debris is that the barricade between the street/ sidewalk and the site is too close, thus putting unaware pedestrians at risk.
- Lack of proper training
- Faulty materials leading to structural collapse
- Failure to put in place safety devices that can stop falling debris
- No warning signs posted
- Oversized load
- Equipment misuse
Even small objects pose a major problem when dropped from great heights. This becomes even more catastrophic when large objects like planks of wood, panes of glass, or heavy machinery fall.
Falling Debris in Public Spaces
Unfortunately, construction workers are not the only ones at risk of falling debris. There are cases of debris falling from high buildings onto unsuspecting pedestrians like the woman who was struck by falling debris at Times Square.
Building owners are charged with the responsibility of making sure their buildings are safe for use and such incidents don’t occur. In fact, municipalities have developed building codes to prevent incidents like these from ever happening. Yet, some building owners stubbornly risk the lives of the general public by neglecting or delaying necessary repairs to save a few dollars at the expense of human safety.
The light at the end of this dark tunnel is that a personal injury lawyer at Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers may be able to help you recover compensation for medical expenses and other damages.
What Compensation Can I Expect After A Falling Debris Accident In Philly?
Due to the complex nature of personal injury cases, and due to the fact that every case is different, it is not always easy to state exactly what compensation you can expect to receive if your case is successful. Much of your expected compensation will end up depending on the severity of the injury, as well as the extent of the negligence that contributed to the injury. In addition, your negligence, if any, will be factored into the decision.
You may receive economic damages such as:
- Loss of earnings
- Medical bills
- Repair bills
- Loss of items that cannot be replaced
- Costs of home care or domestic services
You may also receive non-economic compensation that is harder to value in terms of money due to its more personal nature:
- Pain and suffering
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Mental anguish
- Scarring or deformity
Pennsylvania has adopted comparative negligence laws. This means that your negligence does not bar you from seeking damages from negligent parties provided that you were less negligent than the defendant. If you were more than 50% negligent, you receive nothing.
Statute Of Limitations For Philadelphia Falling Debris Accident Cases
If you have suffered a personal injury due to a situation in which there was falling debris, it is highly important that you contact our law offices immediately to get started on your case. For cases like these, there is a statute of limitations, which refers to the legal time period within which you must file your claim. In the state of Pennsylvania, the statute of limitations for personal injury cases is two years from the date of the accident.
Contact our Philadelphia law offices today to get started on filing your claim so that any negligent parties do not benefit from your postponement. It may seem daunting and difficult, but we are here to help guide you through the process and are prepared to take on your case. The sooner you get this process started, the more likely it is that you will receive the compensation you deserve.
Contact Our Construction Accident Law Firm in Philadelphia Now
If you are a construction worker or pedestrian who has suffered an injury from falling debris, you should first know that you are not alone. At Zavodnick & Lasky Personal Injury Lawyers, you have access to some of the most experienced and knowledgeable legal minds on your side.
At our law firm, we are dedicated to protecting injury victims. Our Philadelphia falling debris lawyers are ready to gather evidence to build the strongest case possible for you, thus helping you recover compensation for your pain and suffering, medical bills, lost wages, and more.
Contact our office or call (215) 875-7030 today to get started. Your first consultation is 100 percent free.
