To learn more about who is liable in heavy equipment related construction accidents, contact the offices of Sheridan & Murray.
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At the law firm of Sheridan & Murray, we represent victims of construction and heavy equipment accidents in Pennsylvania and New Jersey. If you have been injured or a loved one has been killed in an accident, we will help. We protect the people and not the powerful.
At Sheridan & Murray, our personable and accessible construction law attorneys will provide your case with personal attention. Your case will be handled by our most experienced attorneys and will not be delegated to inexperienced associates or legal assistants.
There are more than nine million construction workers in the United States that build and maintain workplaces, houses, and other buildings. Construction work includes many inherently hazardous tasks in challenging conditions. While construction work employs about six percent of all U.S. workers, 20 percent of all work-related fatalities occur in the construction industry. In fact, the construction industry has the largest number of fatalities reported for any of the industry sectors in the United States. In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported more than 5,700 fatal work accidents; approximately 1,100 of them are due to heavy equipment and construction accidents.
Much can and must be done to prevent accidents on Pennsylvania and New Jersey construction work sites. Led by Mr. Sheridan, the construction accident attorneys at Sheridan & Murray have extensive experience handling construction accident cases.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a fatal accident on a construction site, please contact the personal injury attorneys at Sheridan & Murray. They can immediately begin to investigate the most appropriate means of protecting your rights. Our legal review is free and there is no commitment.
A serious construction accident can change your life. You will likely incur lost wages, be unable to return to work, suffer from constant pain, and be unable to sleep or enjoy any of your normal activities. You may also have enormous medical bills and, as a result, may be unable to support your family.
If you or a loved one has been injured at a construction or other industrial site, you are most likely eligible for workers’ compensation. Unfortunately, workers’ compensation often does not adequately compensate an injured worker for all damages sustained in construction accidents; these might include pain, suffering, past lost wages and benefits, and future wage loss.
There may be other options available to you or your loved one in addition to workers’ compensation. Although employers in most states are not held responsible for accidents, it may be possible to sue certain third parties for injuries and financial hardship.
The construction lawyers at Sheridan & Murray have extensive experience investigating work-related construction accidents in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey to determine the identity of all responsible entities. Responsible third parties often include:
If any of these criteria describe your circumstances, it is important that you act now. The state where your accident occurred most likely has a time limit for you to bring a legal claim to be compensated for all of your injuries. It is imperative that you contact the construction accident lawyers at Sheridan & Murray as soon as possible so that we can investigate your legal claim and protect your rights.
On construction projects, workers from all trades are typically required to work at elevated heights, resulting in more than 350 fall-related deaths each year. Fatal falls on construction sites most frequently occur on scaffolds, platforms, roofs, and ladders; however, falls on construction sites can happen anywhere on the project.
OSHA regulations require that roof holes, wall holes, and floor holes be covered or protected by a guardrail and nearby workers must use personal fall-arrest systems to protect them from falling. Regardless of these precautions, occupational fatalities caused by falls remain a serious public health problem.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) has reported that in a seven-year period, more than 4,500 American workers died as a result of falls. Many of these construction accidents were caused by existing openings in floors or roofs, such as installed skylights.
In addition to fatalities, serious injuries often result from these “fall-through” events. Injured workers are forced to miss work for numerous days to recuperate from their construction accidents; this time off can result in lost income and in some cases, job discrimination against the injured worker.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of a fall on a construction site, please contact the lawyers at Sheridan & Murray; our attorneys have extensive experience representing victims of construction accidents throughout Pennsylvania and New Jersey; they can investigate the most appropriate means of protecting your rights. Our legal review is free and there is no commitment.
Since most construction takes place at elevated heights, the danger of injury and death due to falling is greater than almost any other industry in the United States.
OSHA has adopted specific rules and regulations for safe practices on work sites where a worker might fall from one level to another. These OSHA regulations require contractors to use proper materials and protective measures to prevent construction accidents involving falls. These regulations cover the most common sources of falls, including openings in walls, floors, and roofs; scaffolding; ladders; temporary staircases; and the edges of roofs.
Before a contractor can begin a fall protection program, he or she must identify all potential fall hazards in the workplace. Any time a worker is at a height of six feet or more, the worker is at risk and needs to be protected from falling. Some precautions include:
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a fall at a work site, the construction lawyers at Sheridan & Murray can thoroughly and expeditiously evaluate your claim and provide you with experienced legal representation to fully protect your rights. Please contact us immediately at (877) 699-7800 or email us to schedule a free consultation.
Floor collapses are a major cause of construction accidents reported to our Pennsylvania and New Jersey law offices. When a floor collapses, workers in the building can be seriously injured or killed if they are located under the floor that collapses, or if they fall with the floor as it collapses under them. In almost all floor collapse cases, there are a number of OSHA regulations that are violated.
As in any construction accident case, it is important to retain attorneys who are experienced in floor collapse cases. The construction lawyers of Sheridan & Murray work with appropriate experts to investigate whether errors were made during any phase of the project.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a floor collapse at a construction site, please contact our personal injury attorneys in Philadelphia or New Jersey for your free case evaluation.
In addition to falling from heights and ladders, construction workers need to be protected from falling objects. About 1,000 construction workers are killed each year when they come into contact with falling objects and equipment on the work site. This alarming statistic demonstrates the need for hard hat requirements on construction sites.
Construction accidents involving falling objects or heavy equipment in New Jersey and Pennsylvania should only be handled by experienced attorneys who are familiar with state and federal laws. The attorneys of Sheridan & Murray are familiar with work site safety precautions and can properly investigate and determine who was responsible for failing to implement safety measures.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a falling object at a construction or other work site, contact our personal injury attorneys for your free case evaluation.
Most construction workers are exposed to significant risk of injury from construction vehicle and heavy equipment accidents. Occurring in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and states across the country, these incidents caused the deaths of more than 1,000 construction workers in 2003.
In the construction industry, the risk of being struck by a piece of heavy equipment is far higher than in other industries. OSHA regulations dictate that all employers have a duty to protect the safety of their employees on a construction work site. On a multi-employer work site, general contractors also have a duty to implement adequate safety precautions.
The construction lawyers at Sheridan & Murray have experience and proven results representing workers who have been injured in heavy construction equipment accidents. The lawyers at Sheridan & Murray, serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey, are prepared to thoroughly and expeditiously evaluate you or a loved one’s claim if you have been injured by a construction vehicle or other construction equipment.
If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of being struck by a vehicle or heavy equipment at a construction work site, please contact our personal injury attorneys to schedule your free initial consultation.
Due to their size and the nature of their operation, crane accidents typically result in severe injury or death. In an effort to reduce the number of heavy equipment accidents in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, OSHA has adopted rules and regulations relating to the use and operation of cranes. Most of those regulations developed as a result of prior crane accidents, and are designed to protect workers from serious injury and death at work sites where cranes are in use.
Crane accidents can occur for a number of reasons, including:
Some crane accidents can occur as a result of operator error. A crane operator must not attempt to lift a load that is heavier than the crane's load capacity rating. The load capacity of a crane is determined by several factors including the size and weight of the crane and the angle and position of the boom. If an operator attempts to lift a load beyond the crane's capacity, there is a significant risk that the crane can overturn or the boom can buckle. Heavy equipment accidents such as these can cause serious injury or even death.
The investigation of heavy equipment accidents requires skill and knowledge. The Pennsylvania construction lawyers of Sheridan & Murray are prepared to fully investigate heavy equipment claims and protect workers' rights. If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a crane accident, contact the personal injury lawyers of Sheridan & Murray today.
Trenches are a familiar and necessary part of most construction sites. They are, however, dangerous unless specific safety precautions are taken to protect the lives of the workers using them.
Most states require that trenches be built with the appropriate shoring and bracing materials in place at all times. Methods of escape such as safety lines and ladders are also required. Trench accidents often occur when these requirements are violated or ignored. However, in less clear-cut cases (such as when an accident occurs despite safety precautions) experienced attorneys and experts are necessary to look for other causes of the accident. The construction accident lawyers at Sheridan & Murray are experienced in handling trench collapse cases and are familiar with the premises liability rules and regulations pertaining to trenches and soil conditions.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a trench collapse, contact the construction lawyers at Sheridan & Murray. Serving Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and New Jersey, we are committed to protecting your rights and maximizing your recovery.
On average, 289 workers are killed each year on construction sites as a result of electrical injuries. Construction workers are often exposed to electrical current as they install electrical systems for the major appliances that require high voltage on the work site. A significant number of these fatal accidents are caused by inadvertent contact with overhead energized power lines. Crane and other heavy equipment operators are especially in danger when working near power lines. Other examples of construction accidents resulting from electrical current are those caused by improperly grounded electrical tools, inadequate or frayed wiring (including extension cords) and temporary electrical wiring.
If you or a loved one has suffered an injury as a result of an electrical accident on a construction site, contact the construction lawyers at Sheridan & Murray. They can investigate the most appropriate means of protecting your rights. Our legal review is free and there is no commitment.
Ladders and scaffolds are some of the most commonly used tools on construction sites. While most workers believe they know how to safely use scaffolding and ladders, statistics show that of the over 500,000 injuries occurring in the construction industry each year, approximately 9,750 are related to scaffolding and ladder accidents. Most scaffolding and ladder injuries and deaths occur when workers are not properly trained and supervised, and OSHA rules and regulations are violated by construction companies.
If you or a loved one has been injured in a fall from a ladder or scaffolding on a construction site or elsewhere, the experienced construction accidents attorneys at Sheridan & Murray, serving Pennsylvania and New Jersey, can immediately investigate your claim and work with you to fully protect your rights and maximize your recovery. Contact our law firm today to schedule your free case evaluation.
A tunnel is one of the most hazardous construction sites to work in. Tunnel construction is extremely dangerous not only due to the risk of tunnel collapse, but a host of other threats as well. Common accidents include:
OSHA has adopted rules and regulations which must be followed during the course and scope of tunnel construction and work. Virtually, all tunnel accidents and explosions result by a failure of the contractors to comply with the OSHA regulations relating to tunnel construction. If you or someone you know has been injured in a tunnel explosion or accident, the experienced construction accident attorneys of Sheridan & Murray are prepared to fully and expeditiously investigate the accident to help you get financial compensation from those responsible.
At Sheridan & Murray, we take all cases involving construction and heavy equipment accidents on a contingency basis. Once a lawyer from our Pennsylvania or New Jersey offices takes your case, we will advance all the costs and expenses in pursuing your case; you are not responsible for reimbursing the expenses we incur unless we obtain a settlement or judgment for you.
If you or a loved one was injured or killed in a construction, industrial, or work site accident, contact a construction lawyer at Sheridan & Murray. We will tell you how we can help and will immediately take action to protect your rights. Contact our personal injury attorneys via email or call us for a free consultation at (877) 699-7800.