Massachusetts Workers' Compensation Lawyer Blog
A worker was injured in an Amherst construction accident when a granite slab weighing about 700 pounds fell on him while he was on the job at the University of Massachusetts Amherst campus. Carlos Velasquez injured his hip, shoulder, and leg. He was transported to a Springfield hospital.
The Massachusetts work accident took place while the 55-year-old worker was underpinning supports for a renovation and expansion project. Velazquez is employed by Schnabel Foundation Co. The Springfield company is the subcontractor for this job.
The impact of the granite slab falling onto Velasquez pushed him into an excavated area. Workers removed the slab from his body.
Falling Objects at Construction Sites
Falling objects can prove deadly, especially at a construction site. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration reports that nearly 10% of deadly construction accidents involved a worker getting hit by a falling object. In 2012 alone, 78 construction workers died after being hit by debris or falling objects.
It’s not, however, just workers who are at risk of serious injury. Especially in urban areas, innocent bystanders and pedestrians passing by a work area can also get hurt by falling objects—whether they are walking in front of a live construction site, too near to the area because of inadequate barricades, at the site without permission or even for legitimate reasons.
Reasons why construction accidents involving falling objects happen:
- The site is not properly barricaded
- Inadequate warnings signs that fail to caution of the hazards above
- Failure to wear hard hats, safety shields, safety goggles, or other protective equipment
- An improperly secured construction site
- Inadequate inspection of construction equipment
- Failure to properly secure handheld tools
- Failure to correctly secure the cords and hooks transporting heavy objects
- Inadequate worker training
- Machinery malfunction
- Inadequate safety measures and protocols
At Altman & Altman, LLP our Boston workers’ compensation lawyers are here to help injured workers get all of the work injury benefits they are owed. In construction sites there may be other parties involved who can and should be sued for negligence. Other potential non-employer parties may include contractors, a construction company, machinery manufacturers, electricians, and the owner of the construction project.
We also work with clients that are not workers but were also injured in a Massachusetts construction accident. You should contact one of our Boston work accident attorneys and ask for your free case assessment.
Construction worker hurt when 700-pound granite foundation stone falls on him at UMass job site, Gazette.net, May 22, 2015
More Blog Posts:
Jockey files Boston Injury Lawsuit Against Suffolk Downs after Sustaining Horse Racing Injuries, Boston Injury Lawyer Blog, December 29, 2014
$64.5M Construction Accident Verdict Awarded to Man Injured in Building Collapse, Massachusetts Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Blog, April 30, 2015
