Taking a job on a worksite and worrying about construction accident liability often go hand in hand, but accepting a reasonable level of risk doesn’t have to mean giving up your legal protections. Our dedicated Team at Stanley Law can help you prove that you took every possible precaution as a construction worker prior to your injury or accident.
Don’t go it alone — Joe Knows how to protect your future, and our team works to get you the MAXIMUM AWARD you deserve. It all starts with these four tips:
Always Wear The Right Gear
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is an essential part of a construction worker’s uniform, and you should never step onto a site without the right clothing, footwear, and other gear. The exact getup depends on your area of expertise, but you may need:
- Protective eyewear
- Gloves
- A fall harness
- Slip- and puncture-resistant shoes or boots
- A face shield
- A hard hat
- Knee pads
- Earplugs or earmuffs
- A safety vest
- A headlamp
- Respiratory protection
Never skip required protection and, whenever possible, be sure to include an account of your getup on an incident report so your adherence to policy is fully documented. Need help piecing together your paperwork? We’re there for you from start to finish and our dedicated worker’s compensation team can give you advice on how to prove your work wardrobe was up to snuff.
Keep Records Regarding Health And Safety Training
Knowledge is power when it comes to safety. Staying up to date on risk factors and preventative measures is not only a good way to safeguard your well-being, it could also mitigate your liability should an accident occur. Every time you take a safety course or undergo on-the-job training, track the hours and keep any certificates of participation or completion.
Conduct Regular Inspections Of Your Tools And Surroundings
Broken tools present a major risk. Even a hammer can cause problems if the head isn’t securely attached, and professional-grade construction equipment packs significantly more punch. Whether your tools are your own, the property of the construction company or a combination of the two, it’s important you inspect them for safety on a regular basis and report and document any visible defects or instances of malfunction. If you have the unfortunate luck to be injured on subpar equipment, having proof there were previous concerns could be the difference between proving your claim or coming up empty handed.
Make Smart Choices
Some precautions aren’t about what you decide to do so much as what you avoid doing. Drinking or using drugs before work puts your health and livelihood on the line. Even prescription medications or over-the-counter drugs, such as cold medicine, could contribute to an accident if they’re known to cause side effects, such as dizziness, fatigue or disorientation — those warnings on the label about avoiding intake while operating heavy machinery are no joke.
Skipping out on much-needed sleep is also risky. Showing up to work well rested is one of the best steps you can take toward ensuring your safety as well as the safety of others. While you can’t necessarily prove you got a full eight hours of shuteye the night before an accident, a blood test post-incident is able to detect the presence of unapproved substances, and you want those results to turn up in your favor.
When you’re applying for worker’s compensation or seeking other damages for an injury you got while on the job, it’s up to you to prove you’re eligible for benefits and that you took every precaution necessary to prevent getting hurt.
Contact Us With Your Construction Accident Liability
You need and deserve the Maximum Reward and we’ll leave no stone unturned. Why? Because it takes true grit to win a case and that’s exactly what we deliver. Don’t go it alone, phone the dedicated Team at Stanley Law and get our dedicated crew working for you.
We have offices in Binghamton, Syracuse, Rochester, and Watertown, New York, as well as Montrose, Pennsylvania. For more information, contact us today at (800) 608-3333 and get prepared, because you never know what’s just around the corner.
