Three men suffered injuries on the job at a San Diego construction site when they fell off scaffolding. According to The San Diego Union-Tribune, the injury accident occurred on Park Row, near Union Place Circle, in La Jolla, the afternoon of September 20, 2011. It is unclear at this time what caused the workers to fall from the scaffolding. The report states that they fell about 15 feet. All three suffered non-life-threatening injuries including injuries to the leg, back, wrist and ankle. An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the accident.

My thoughts and prayers are with the three victims of this San Diego construction accident. I wish them the very best for a complete and speedy recovery.

Scaffolding Accident Statistics

According to a report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, 88 people were killed in scaffolding accidents in the year 2007 in the United States. Also 72 percent of scaffolding-related injury accidents involved the planking or the support giving way, or the employee suffering an injury because of a falling object.

What Caused This Scaffolding Accident?

Based on this news report, it is not exactly clear how the accident occurred. Was the scaffolding properly braced when it was assembled? Did the workers who built the scaffolding have proper training or supervision? Was this accident caused by a defective product? Did weather conditions play a part? Did the workers have fall protection equipment at the time? I trust Cal/OSHA investigators are looking into these and other issues in order to determine what caused this accident and how it may have been prevented.

Workers' Claim for Compensation

In this particular case, the injured workers can seek workers compensation benefits from their employer to cover medical expenses, lost earnings, and physical therapy costs. However, very often, workers compensation benefits in California are extremely inadequate and do not fully compensate an injured worker or his family for all losses. This is where an experienced San Diego personal injury lawyer can help and will determine whether the injured worker can file a third party claim.

These types of claims, which are worth a lot more than workers compensation benefits, are filed against parties other than the employer, such as general contractors, sub contractors, or manufacturers of defective products. The best personal injury law firms will always offer a free consultation and comprehensive case evaluation to injured workers and their families.

Antonio Mejia, 48, sustained fatal job injuries in a Ventura County construction accident involving a trench collapse. According to a news report in The Ventura County Star, the trench collapse occurred along the Pacific Coast Highway, near Deer Creek Canyon Park, in Ventura on September 18, 2011. Mejia was working as a contractor at a private home when a trench collapsed and wood pieces trapped him. Investigators from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) are looking into what caused this fatal construction site accident.

I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of Antonio Mejia following this fatal construction accident. My thoughts and prayers are with them during this difficult time.

Trench Collapse Accident Statistics

According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 271 workers were killed in trenching or excavation cave-ins between the years 2000 and 2006 in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that 488 workers were killed in cave-ins and trench accidents nationwide between the years 1992 and 2000.

What Caused This Fatal Accident?

Based on this news report, it is not clear what led to this fatal trench cave-in. There are several questions here. Was the ground properly tested before construction began on the property? Was a defective product involved? Was the trench properly secured and braced? Were sufficient escape routes provided for workers in the trench? Were heavy and dangerous machines allowed too close to the trench? Was proper supervision provided at the construction site? Did negligence play a part in the accident? I trust officials are looking into these and other issues in order to determine what occurred here and why.

Claim for Compensation

Families of deceased workers can obtain workers compensation benefits through the victim's employer. However, in some cases, they can also file a third party claim in addition to workers compensation. These types of claims are filed against a party other than an employer, such as a negligent property owner, sub-contractor, general contractor, or the manufacturer of a defective product. If this trench cave-in was the result of someone else's negligence or incompetence, that party can be held liable for the victim's wrongful death. An experienced Ventura personal injury lawyer will be able to advise victims and their families in such cases about their legal rights and options.

A man was injured on the job in a construction accident that occurred at the Los Angeles International Airport. According to a City News Service report, the construction accident occurred the early morning of August 20, 2011 at the Tom Bradley International Terminal. At least one person was hospitalized following the accident. It is not clear what caused the accident. The extent of the worker's injuries is also unknown at this time. The report states that the incident, in all likelihood, occurred at the $1.5-billion Bradley expansion project.

My thoughts and prayers are with the worker injured in this Los Angeles construction accident. I wish him a complete and speedy recovery.

Construction Accident Statistics

According to The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 879 full time construction workers were injured in the year 2009 nationally. That represents a significant decrease from the 1,016 construction workers injured in 2008 nationwide. For every 100 full-time construction workers, 4.3 sustained a workplace injury or illness in a work-related incident, in the year 2009.

What Caused This Construction Accident?

The report does not specify how the accident occurred. There are a number of questions that arise in such situations. Were the workers at this construction site equipped with safety devices? Were the workers properly supervised? Were the workers given sufficient job and safety training? Was this construction site accident the result of a defective product or equipment malfunction? I trust officials are looking into these and other factors in order to determine precisely how and why this incident occurred.

Liability Issues

Injured workers are entitled to receive workers compensation benefits from their employers. These benefits will usually cover part of the medical expenses and lost wages following a job-related accident. However, workers compensation benefits in California are woefully inadequate when it comes to covering rehabilitative treatment and helping workers who have sustained major or catastrophic injuries on the job.

An experienced Los Angeles personal injury lawyer will be able to advise workers if a third-party claim exists. These are claims filed against individuals or entities other than the employer, and whose negligence caused or contributed to the injury accident. Examples of third parties include property owners, general contractors, sub-contractors, or manufacturers of defective products. Third-party claims are typically worth a lot more to seriously injured workers or families of deceased workers than workers compensation benefits.

Just a few weeks ago, one construction worker working at a Harlem construction site was seriously injured when he fell about 15 feet from the second floor. The man, who was not identified, is 40 years old and suffered severe injuries to his right leg. Some onlookers believed the mans ankle was amputated in the accident, while others say they believe it was a compound fracture.

A Department of Buildings spokesman said that while the man was wearing a safety harness, it was not attached to a lifeline which is required. The victim was working on a section of City College of New York's south campus when the accident took place. He was transported to Bellevue hospital at around 11:15 a.m. in serious condition. The man was working for Skanska USA Building, Inc. according to a Skanska foreman.

Emergency workers who responded to the scene diagnosed the victim with a serious leg injury as well as potential head trauma. Investigators from the city's DOB are looking further in to why the man fell in order to determine if the supervisors and managers at the construction site failed to comply with safety regulations. (If you find yourself injured on the job, contact a Buffalo injury attorney for a free consultation)

Initial findings by DOB investigators found that it was likely conditions at the construction site were in violation of industry safety codes. Construction was brought to a halt by the DOB so that officials could make certain worker's lives were not in danger, and that there were no further safety violations.

Every year, thousands of workers are injured or lose their lives in construction site accidents. While it's often a complex matter determining who is responsible, an experienced attorney can help sort through the legal process so that injured workers get the compensation they are entitled to.

Brown Chiari is a team of Buffalo construction accident lawyers dedicated to obtaining justice for victims of construction site accidents. Contact us for a free evaluation of your case.

A landscape worker suffered critical personal injuries in a Long Beach on-the-job accident the morning of June 9, 2009, CBS News reports. Long Beach Fire Department officials said the 28-year-old worker was shocked in the Long Beach on-the-job trench accident when he came in close contact with a power line. He went into cardiac and respiratory arrest. A 46-year-old supervisor, who apparently tried to remove the worker from the trench, was also shocked and suffered minor personal injuries. Fire department personnel and fellow workers performed CPR on the victim and were able to restore his pulse and breathing before he was taken to the emergency room.

My heart goes out to this worker who suffered critical injuries due to the electrical shock he received in this Los Angeles trench accident. I also sympathize with his family members who must be going through a tough time now. Please keep them in your prayers.

According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), electric current exposes workers to a serious, widespread occupational hazard. Almost all members of the workforce are exposed to electrical energy during the performance of their daily duties and electrocutions can occur to workers in various job categories. Many workers are simply unaware of the potential electrical hazards present in their work environment, which makes them more vulnerable to the dangers of electrocution. Electrical injuries fall under the following categories: electrocution (fatal); electric shock, burns and falls as a result of contact with electrical energy.

So far no detailed national data is available on the number of workers killed each year by electric current. However, according to NIOSH, during the period 1982 to 1997, NIOSH investigated 1,281 fatal incidents involving electric current. Of these 152 involved installation maintenance, service and repair tasks. Three main factors contributed to these personal injury accidents:

The injured worker in this Long Beach on-the-job accident would be well advised to contact experienced California personal injury lawyers, who will determine whether there is a third-party claim here. Such claims basically look into any negligence or wrongdoing on the part of someone other than the worker's employer, which caused or contributed to the personal injury accident. If that was the case, this injured worker, in addition to workers compensation benefits, could receive compensation for medical expenses, loss of wages, pain and suffering and other related damages.

Question: Hi, I had my car totaled last Monday while it was parked in front of my house. I have been customizing it and the Blue Book value is around $5000 to $7000 plus I have modifications and receipts. The car is used for work and it has caused me stress and stomach problems. I have the other person's insurance information and my insurance company is only offering $4400. I want to go after the other person's insurance company. Due to the stress and the problems I have been having, I need help. I need to get another $6000 in order to pay for my new car. I based everything off of current value and receipts. I believe i deserve much more than $4400.

Answer: Sue the negligent driver for $7,500 in small claims court (replacement value of your car plus sales tax on replacement value plus unused portion of your registration fee). Sue the driver, not his insurance company. You are not entitled to anything for stress or stomach problems.

Question: So there is nothing I can due to the stress of the situation and the fact that I now have to have a payment and I do not have money for a down payment and financial hardships. It has impacted me and my job. It seems like there should be something. The driver was not licensed and the owner said he could drive it I have a police report also. It seems that since the driver was fully insured I should be able to get more from them

Answer: If this was a "personal injury" rather than "property damage" your stress would be part of the "pain & suffering" you could recover for. The person responsible for the damage to your personal property is responsible for the costs to repair or replace your property. If your property was business property and negatively effected your income, than the responsible person may be responsible for the lost income.

Your inquiry and my response are no substitute for a full consultation with a knowledgeable attorney regarding your rights and options. I do not advise taking action in the case of serious matters based upon this response. Additional facts and circumstances can make a significant difference in your rights and obligations.

Keep in mind that every attorney you consult with will have different opinions, different approaches and different criteria for the causes they take up. It never hurts to get second opinions. Also, keep in mind that every legal claim has time limits within which specific action must be taken to preserve your rights. Failure to properly comply with the time limits will terminate your rights. Generally personal injury claims have a two year statute of limitations. However, claims against governmental agencies (like school districts and cities) must be properly filed within 180 days and a lawsuit filed within 180 days of denial of claim. There are exceptions.

Seattle construction accident involved two Seattle construction companies that erected and operated a construction crane, which collapsed in Bellevue in 2006 killing a Microsoft lawyer, have settled with the victim's parents, the Seattle Times reports. The giant Bellevue crane collapsed and killed Matthew Ammon when it toppled onto his Bellevue apartment. Ammon's parents will receive an undisclosed sum in an agreement made with Seattle personal injury attorneys for Lease Crutcher Lewis and Magnusson Klemencic Associated (MKA). The case had been scheduled to go to trial this month.

Personal injury attorneys for Ammon's parents, Kathleen Gaberson and Larry Ammon, alleged that the companies were negligent in their roles in the installation, design and operation of the 210-foot crane, which was being used to build the Tower 333 building in downtown Bellevue. Apparently, the turning point in this case happened on the eve of the trial when MKA admitted some liability in the crane accident though it continued to blame Lease Crutcher Lewis for its role.

I'm glad for the parents of Matthew Ammon that this case has been settled without going to a trial. As Seattle personal injury attorneys who have represented clients in wrongful death lawsuits, we know that there is no way you can put a price tag on a person's life. Ammon's parents will never get back the time they have lost with their son. What does this settlement mean to them? It is a way for them to move on with their lives knowing that the people or entities, whose negligence caused the death of their son, have been penalized for their wrongdoing.

According to the Web site CraneAccidents.com (www.craneaccidents.com), the U.S. Department of Labor in May estimated that there are as many as 82 fatalities annually that are associated with cranes in construction. Most construction crane accidents are due to wind or operator error, experts say. Crane accidents can be devastating and cause catastrophic injuries or deaths, as in this Washington construction accident case, because of their size and the potential for damage and personal injuries. It is for the best that at least one of two companies involved in this incident admitted liability and stepped up to the plate on the eve of the trial. It was the right thing to do.

Javier Iniguez, 32, died in a Huntington Beach construction job accident after he was trapped in a trench collapse at a local construction site, The Orange County Register reports. The fatal job injury occurred the afternoon of April 27, 2009 in the 4600 block of Warner Avenue where Iniguez was trapped after soil and concrete fell on top of him. Iniguez was trapped about eight feet inside the trench head first, as about 40 firefighters tried in vain to rescue him.

Iniguez died at the scene. Iniguez was apparently working on the trench near Ocean Towers Luxury Apartments along with another worker. They were exposing the concrete foundation and painting a sealant to keep the foundation from water damage. Iniguez was the only one who was in the trench when it collapsed. The other worker, who has not been identified, was not injured.

My heart goes out to the family and friends of Javier Iniguez, who died from his fatal on-the-job injury. I offer my deepest condolences to everybody who knew and loved Iniguez. Please keep them in your prayers.

This fatal construction accident is being investigated by the California Department of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA). Trench cave-ins are unfortunately common industrial accidents that cause death and injury. According to Cal/OSHA's statistics, over a five-year period between 2001 and 2005, 26 Californians have been killed in trench collapses and 207 Californians have been injured in these entirely preventable construction accidents. In almost every instance of trench collapse, it has been determined that the cause was a failure to shore up a trench properly, the state safety agency says.

The state spells out very specific regulations when it comes to trenches. Every time a worker enters an excavation 5 feet or deeper, companies must obtain a permit from the Department of Occupational Safety and Health (DOSH). This California agency requires employers to conduct daily inspections of the trench and have competent safety systems in place. That includes paying close attention to how the soil is at the particular site. If the soil is loose or has liquid in it, it is more likely to cave in. Some of the other preventive steps include not parking heavy vehicles or equipment next to the trench and paying close attention to changing weather patterns.

There are also specific industry and safety standards for width and depth of excavations, which are designed to prevent tragedies like this. These standards require a competent foreperson to be physically present on site to ensure that they adhere to these important safety standards. In the state of California, every employer has the legal obligation to provide and maintain a safe and healthy workplace for employees, per the California Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1973. If it is determined that the required safety measures were not followed here and the trench had not been properly shored-up, then Iniguez's employer would be fined by Cal/OSHA. Iniguez's family will no doubt be entitled to California workers compensation benefits. But they may also have a "third party claim" here. A third party claim is usually filed against someone other than an employer who is believed to have been negligent, such as a contractor, sub-contractor, maintenance personnel or the manufacturer of a defective product. Third party claims are usually worth 20 times more to a victim and/or their family than workers compensation benefits, which are extremely inadequate to compensate for such a huge loss. Javier Iniguez's family certainly needs reputed Orange County personal injury attorneys who have had success with third party claims on their side, to investigate this incident. I'd bet the construction contractor has already started their own investigation with their insurance company and attorneys. Iniguez's family needs a knowledgeable California personal injury attorney fighting for and protecting their legal rights and getting them the compensation they rightfully deserve.