Charlotte Construction Site Injury Lawyers Helping Clients Hit by Falling Objects

Honest counsel for North Carolina construction workers hurt on the worksite

If you have been injured by a falling object on a construction site, you may have many questions. Why did this happen? How will I pay my mounting medical bills? What can I do to take care of my family if I cannot work? For answers to these and many other questions you have, turn to Warren & Kallianos, PLLC.

For many years, we have obtained workers’ compensation benefits, personal injury damages, and other relief for injured construction workers and their families in Charlotte and throughout North Carolina. Our record of results on behalf of construction accident victims includes, among others:

• $1,550,000 settlement for a client who sustained severe electrical burns on a construction site when a pole he was helping to erect came into contact with an energized high voltage line.
• $1.12 million verdictfor a client who received crush injuries from a construction site crane accident.

We are ready to help you, too. Let us ease your stress by protecting your legal rights, exploring your legal options, and aggressively pursuing all funds you are due. Meanwhile, you can focus on your health and your recovery.

Falling Objects Count as Part of the Fatal Four

Construction sites are dangerous places, and certain types of incidents – dubbed the “Fatal Four” by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) – are more likely to lead to death or serious injuries than others. The occupational safety and health magazine EHS Today states that “The third largest cause of death in the workplace, behind transportation incidents and workplace violence, is contact with objects and equipment, the majority of which are being struck by a falling object.”

Workers who are struck by objects, whether they’re machines on the ground or tools, equipment, or materials falling from a raised height, are among those who are likely to sustain severe injuries like:

• Traumatic brain injuries
• Concussions
• Spinal injuries
• Paralysis
• Neck and shoulder injuries
• Broken or crushed feet or hands
• Broken bones or fractures
• Penetrating injuries to the body

Why Did Your Falling Object Accident Occur?

Warren & Kallianos can review all evidence in your case to determine how you were injured by a falling object, including analyzing the accident report, witness statements, and surveillance camera footage. Our goal will be to uncover evidence that establishes your right to compensation.

As we have seen, these accidents commonly involve:

• Hand tools, power tools, or machine parts.
• Building or construction materials like drywall, lumber, or pipes.
• Debris, including discarded parts of construction materials.
• A load on a crane, boom, hoist, cherry picker, backhoe, or other piece of equipment.
• Beams, girders, ceiling materials, or concrete (in a structural collapse).

The most common causes of falling object accidents include:

• Lax safety procedures. Tools may be allowed to slip off the side of a scaffolding platform, or construction materials may be dropped while being hoisted from one level to another. The faulty operation of a crane, hoist or lift, or the failure to secure materials, may also cause objects to fall. Warning signs should also be posted around the site to let workers, site visitors, and passersby know of the dangers.
• Hidden defects. Scaffolding that contains a hidden defect may collapse, striking anyone beneath it. A hidden defect in a chain or strap may cause an item to give way, dropping the load it contains on anyone who is standing beneath. A hidden mechanical defect in a backhoe or similar equipment may cause it to drop its load without a signal from the operator. Hidden defects may be problems with an item’s manufacturing or design or a lack of warnings about hidden risks in using the item. Workers may not realize that the defect exists until after it causes serious harm.
• Lack of proper training or safety equipment. Workers may also face an increased risk of a falling object accident if they lack proper safety equipment and training. When contractors and others fail to take construction accident risks seriously, harm can readily occur.
• Lack of supervision. Once workers are on the site, the site supervisor is supposed to make sure that his or her workers are following safety protocols, and doing their jobs properly. When other employees take shortcuts that go ignored or uncorrected, everyone is at risk.

How Will Warren & Kallianos Fight for You?

Attorneys Jeff Warren and Chris Kallianos have spent decades of their combined legal practice focused on construction accident cases. We work with highly qualified experts who can help us determine how your accident happened, how it has affected your ability to work and enjoy life, and how it has affected your finances.

When we take on your case, we can pursue options that may include:

• Workers’ compensation benefits. If you were hit by a falling object while you were carrying out your construction job duties, you are likely entitled to workers’ comp benefits that will pay for all of your medical bills and replace a portion of the income you lose while you can’t work. We can make sure a claim is properly filed and challenge any attempts to deny, delay, or decrease payment of your benefits. Keep in mind: you may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits even if you made a mistake that contributed to the accident that harmed you. Also, your employer cannot legally retaliate against you simply because you have exercised your right to file a claim.
• Personal injury damages. If you were injured by the careless or reckless acts of a non-employer or non-co-worker – for instance, another subcontractor or a company making deliveries at the construction site – you may be entitled to bring a third-party liability claim. This claim can seek medical expenses, recovery of all of your lost wages, and pain and suffering damages. If a defective tool, machinery, or other equipment caused your harm, we can pursue a product liability claim on your behalf. Compensation from such claims is usually in addition to – rather than instead of – workers’ compensation benefits.
• Death benefits/wrongful death damages – If a close relative died from injuries caused by a falling object while working on a construction site, you could receive workers’ compensation death benefits. These benefits can provide you with a percentage of your loved one’s income as well as cover funeral and burial expenses. Depending on the facts of your case, a wrongful death action could be brought as well, seeking additional compensation for harm such as the loss of your loved one’s services and companionship.

Our goal will be to secure the benefits and other compensation you are due. We resolve many cases through settlement. However, if necessary, Warren & Kallianos will be ready to fight for you before a judge and jury.

We will charge nothing for our legal services unless and until we obtain a settlement or verdict on your behalf. While your case is pending, we can also work with health care providers to make sure you get the treatment you need.

Injured by a Falling Object on a Construction Site? We Can Fight for You

At Warren & Kallianos, we are dedicated to helping injured construction workers and their families seek the workers’ compensation benefits and all other compensation they are due. We promise that we will work hard to gather evidence, prepare your case and do everything it takes to pursue the funds you deserve. Contact us today, or call us at 704-377-7777 if you or a loved one has been harmed by a falling object at a construction site. Our initial consultations are free, and we can get started on your case right away.

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