IN Construction Accident Lawyer

With fall upon us, the sprint to finish Indiana road construction projects can lead to road construction accidents says your Indiana construction accident lawyer.  Speed is the friend of profit, but the enemy of construction safety. However, one accident can bring an entire project to a halt, as we saw in Stanley Roberts convention center fatality. As Coach John Wooden said, If you don't have time to do it right, how will you have time to do it over?   Road construction accidents can happen to commuters and construction workers, often with serious injuries or death. OSHA and IOSHA have some tips for us to prevent such accidents:


Employees being struck by vehicles or mobile equipment lead to many work zone fatalities or injuries. Work zones need traffic controls identified by signs, cones, barrels and barriers.

Drivers, employees on foot, and pedestrians must be able to see and understand the proper routes. Construction project managers determine traffic control plans within construction/demolition work sites.

• Traffic control devices, signals, and message boards instruct drivers to follow paths away from where work is being done.
  
   
• Approved traffic control devices, including cones, barrels, barricades, and delineator posts are also used inside work zones.

Work Zone Protections: Various concrete, water, sand, collapsible barriers, crash cushions, and truck-mounted attenuators can help limit motorist intrusions into construction work zones.

Flagging: Flaggers should wear high visibility clothing with a fluorescent background and made of retro reflective material. This makes employees visible for at least 1,000 feet in any direction. Check the label or packaging to ensure that the garments are performance class 2 or 3. Drivers should be warned with signs that there will be flaggers ahead. Flaggers should use STOP/SLOW paddles, paddles with lights, or flags (only in emergencies).

Lighting: Flagger stations should be illuminated. Lighting for employees on foot and for equipment operators should be at least 5 foot-candles or greater. Where available lighting is not sufficient, flares or chemical lighting should be used. Glare should be controlled or eliminated.

Training: Flaggers must be trained/certified and use authorized signaling methods.

Driving: Seat belts and rollover protection should be used on equipment and vehicles as the manufacturer recommends.

Your Indiana Construction accident lawyer has handled Road construction accidents  involving iron workers, laborers, operators, concrete workers and motorists throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, South Bend  and Evansville.  If you need a FREE CASE EVALUATION, please contact me using the form to the right, or just call.  If I cant help you, I will find someone who can. BE SAFE and have a great weekend. My Boys  have their first football games this weekend! :-)  My favorite time of the year!
John 

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is pleased to report the settlement of another Construction Accident case involving a seriously injured concrete finisher.  Our client was injured in a fall at at Fishers Indiana construction site in April, 2008. He suffered a fractured back and wrist, with the wrist requiring surgery. 



 The OSHA and IOSHA violations in the case were the failure to properly cover a large structural hole that was left open because a  metal staircase  had not been installed. OSHA

29 CFR §1926.502(i)(3). 29 CFR §1926.502(i)(4).[1] 29 CFR §1926.501(b)(1). requires holes to be covered and clearly marked.  Here, our construction worker was injured in the process of covering the hole  to make it safe for other workers. Fortunately we were able to obtain a favorable settlement from the insurer of the general contractor responsible for safety in excess of the worker's compensation benefits that will help our client get his life back in order.

Fall accidents such as this one are too common in Indiana, and make up a large portion of your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer's Practice.  Iron Workers, Masons, Painters, electricians and plasterers all have work injuries from falls, often fatal ones.

If you or a family member has been involved in an Indiana Construction Injury, in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, Fort Wayne, South Bend, Evansville or anywhere in Indiana, I would be happy to meet with you for no charge to see if you have  a case, or if worker's compensation is your only remedy. If I can't help you, I will find someone who can. BE SAFE and have a great Labor Day weekend. I am taking my son to the Auburn Car show, should be fun!

John     

 

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer was recently honored by Iron Workers Local 22  for his efforts on behalf of injured iron workers by a plaque stating " With Sincere Appreciation for Your Time & Commitment to Iron Workers Local 22." It now hangs proudy in my office at the Construction Accident Law firm in downtown indianapolis.

This commitment is not only to help get full compensation for Construction accidents in Indiana, but also in the area of accident prevention. Iron workers are usually hurt or die from falls while decking or in movement of materials by cranes or other heavy equipment. Our emphasis ion teaching the 10 hour and Subpart R   classes to apprentice iron workers focuses on those two areas.  Apprentices are flooded with information, so safety in rigging loads to prevent crane acccidents, safe use of lifts and power equipment, PPE  and above all fall protection are emphasized. I am proud of the award from the iron workers and plan to continue to earn it by helping to prevent accidents and getting full compensation for members injured in Indiana Construction accidents!


If you or a family member need a FREE CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT  CASE EVALUATION please contact me. If you need more information Your FREE  Guide to  INDIANA CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS is available just by clicking on the guide to the right of the page.

We  Represent injured construction accident workers in cases involving  Road Construction, Scaffolds, Electrical Injuries, Trench Collapses, and other work injuries. Our clients are from throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Richmond, Fort Wayne Evansville, South Bend (my hometown) and Terre Haute.  Helping injured Indiana Construction Workers is what I do. please  let me know how I can help.

John  

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis Indiana read with interest the IOSHA report that indicated that 132 people died in the workplace in 2008, of which 19 died in Indiana Construction Accidents. Here is a link to the August 20, 2009 Article in the Indianapolis Star.  It was good to see that IOSHA increased its inspections  nearly 70%. Commissioner of Labor Lori Torres and her dedicated staff do a great job given the scope of the challenge and the resources provided to IOSHA. The role of the employer and the general contractors cannot be ignored, however. I was recently at a  deposition involving a fatal head injury and  the witnesses  testified whenever the general contractor required a hard hat to be worn on the job site, it was. This particular General Contractor did not require hard hats, and a fatal head injury was a result.  Here are some reminders from OSHA on preventing work injuries related for failure to provide and require Personal Protective Equipment:

Construction
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)

• Safety glasses or face shields are worn any time work operations can cause foreign objects to get in the eye. For example, during welding, cutting, grinding, nailing (or when working with concrete and/or harmful chemicals or when exposed to flying particles). Wear when exposed to any electrical hazards, including working on energized electrical systems.
• Eye and face protectors – select based on anticipated hazards.

• Construction workers should wear work shoes or boots with slip-resistant and puncture-resistant soles.
• Safety-toed footwear is worn to prevent crushed toes when working around heavy equipment or falling objects.

• Gloves should fit snugly.
• Workers should wear the right gloves for the job (examples: heavy-duty rubber gloves for concrete work; welding gloves for welding; insulated gloves and sleeves when exposed to electrical hazards).

• Wear hard hats where there is a potential for objects falling from above, bumps to the head from fixed objects, or of accidental head contact with electrical hazards.
• Hard hats – routinely inspect them for dents, cracks or deterioration; replace after a heavy blow or electrical shock; maintain in good condition.

• Use earplugs/earmuffs in high noise work areas where chainsaws or heavy equipment are used; clean or replace earplugs regularly.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis was pleased  to see President Obama has nominated Dr. David Michaels to head the Occupational and Safety Health Administration. (OSHA).  Indiana has its own department, IOSHA, but the safety rules and regulations come from OSHA. 

Hopefully, OSHA will address some of the key issues facing Indiana Construction workers, including implementing a construction project rule that whenever a construction worker is working in excess of 6 feet that Fall Protection be provided and required. Currently, there is a hodge podge of rules and regulations. For example, scaffold accidents could be prevented by lowering the railing requirement from 10 feet to 6.  Iron worker accidents could be reduced by using a 6 foot rule for tying off. Currently it is task  specific, connecting is 15 feet, while decking is in excess of 30 feet.  The regulations suffer from "committee disease", the compromises end up missing the main point, preventing construction accidents!

Here is a link to an article on the nomination.   We wish Dr Michaels well.

Here is a video of fall protection gone  wrong especially around power lines!



  



Fall  protection should be job one for the new OSHA head!

If you or a family member have been injured in an Indiana Construction accident, please consider us your Construction Accident Law Firm in Indiana. We represent worjers injured in falls, electrical accidents, scaffold accidents, trench collapses and road construction accidents throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, South Bend and Evansville. Please contact us at the FREE CASE EVALUATION at the right of the page, or feel free to email me or call. BE SAFE!

John   

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer was pleased to see IOSHA acted swiftly in investigating and citing the employer in the fatal work place accident involving Alexander Santoyo. Mr, Santoyo died after falling 90 feet from a crane at the US Steel Gary Works on June 6, 2009. IOSHA cited US STEEL for not providing fall protection and having a ladder placed too close to the frame of the crane.  Here    is a link to the story regarding the crane accident.

While the IOSHA fine is for $10,000.00, that is not a deterant given the  scope of US Steel's business. Hopefully the real benefit of an IOSHA  investigation is the prevention of future accidents and not punishment for the infraction. I spoke with Mr. Santoyo's family shortly after the crane accident and I know they were deeply concerned about preventing other familioes from getting the heart braking news that a loved one has been killed in a work injury.

Here are a few tips from  OSHA on crane safety.

 Protect Yourself
Crane Safety
Fatalities and serious injuries can occur if cranes are not inspected and used properly. Many fatalities can occur when the crane boom, load line or load contacts power lines and shorts electricity to ground. Other incidents happen when workers are struck by the load, are caught inside the swing radius or fail to assemble/ disassemble the crane properly.

• Cranes are to be operated only by qualified and trained personnel.
• A designated competent person must inspect the crane and all crane controls before use.
• Be sure the crane is on a firm/stable surface and level.
• During assembly/dis assembly do not unlock or remove pins unless sections are blocked and secure (stable).
• Fully extend outriggers and barricade accessible areas inside the crane’s swing radius.
• Watch for overhead electric power lines and maintain at least a 10-foot safe working clearance from the lines.
• Inspect all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist lines around the load.
• Be sure to use the correct load chart for the crane’s current configuration and setup, the load weight and lift path.
• Do not exceed the load chart capacity while making lifts.
• Raise load a few inches, hold, verify capacity/balance, and test brake system before delivering load.
• Do not move loads over workers.
• Be sure to follow signals and manufacturer instructions while operating cranes.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is pleased to announce the settlement of another Indiana Construction accident in Indianapolis. While the amount is confidential, the details of the accident should be conveyed to prevent construction accidents (and construction accident lawsuits in Indiana!) in the future.

Our client, a non-union roofer was seriously injured on December 17, 2005 while clearing snow off of a roof to place roofing paper down. The project was behind schedule, and there was the traditional conflict between speed and safety.  No fall protection was provided, although there may have been some  make-shift fall protection on -site.  OSHA and IOSHA require  fall protection to be installed BY THE EMPLOYER BEFORE WORK BEGINS ON THE ROOF!  This was not done, and a serious injury was the result.  Here are some pointers from OSHA on fall protection:

 Fall Protection Tips

Identify all potential tripping and fall hazards before work starts.   Look for fall hazards such as unprotected floor openings/edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings/edges.   Inspect fall protection equipment for defects before use.   Select, wear, and use fall protection equipment appropriate for the task.   Secure and stabilize all ladders before climbing them.   Never stand on the top rung/step of a ladder.   Use handrails when you go up or down stairs.   Practice good housekeeping. Keep cords, welding leads and air hoses out of walkways or adjacent work areas.

All Indiana Construction Accident Fatalities are unfortunate but the ones that involve insufficient IOSHA and OSHA training for Hispanic workers are among the most tragic because they are among the most preventable,says your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis.  According to a recent article in USA Today, Hispanic worker deaths are up 76% since 1992.  Here is a link to that article. Of these  deaths, 317 were construction accidents, more than twice the next category of transportation and housing.  I know that OSHA  is working hard at providing Spanish language construction accident safety information, and your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer wants to help in any way he can.

Here are some basic construction safety tips in Spanish:

Consejos para Protección de Caídas

Antes de comenzar a trabajar, identifique los riesgos potenciales contra tropiezos y caídas.   Esté atento a los riesgos de caídas tales como inseguridades en pisos, cubiertas/orillas no protegidas, huecos, tragaluces, escaleras y aperturas en techos/orillas.   Antes de usar el equipo de protección contra caídas inspecciónelo e identifique los defectos.   Seleccione, póngase y use apropiadamente el equipo de protección contra caídas para la tárea asignada.   Asegure y estabilize todas las escaleras antes de subirlas.   Nunca se pare en el peldaño o escalón superior de una escalera.   Use las barandas cuando usted suba o baje una escalera.   Practique buena organización/ limpieza. Mantenga los cables, cables de soldadura y mangas de aire fuera de los pasillos o áreas de trabajo adyacentes.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is pleased to announce  a six figure settlement of an Indiana Crane Accident in Carmel, Indiana. In the interest of privacy, the injured  construction worker's name and exact settlement amount will not be revealed here.  However, I am proud  to mention that the laborer involved was  initially referred to another attorney who told him his only remedy would be worker's compensation.  This pattern occurs in many of your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer's cases, where construction workers and  lawyers who do not concentrate on construction accidents do not realize they have a case. That is why we offer a FREE CASE EVALUATION and a FREE GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS.  

The accident involved a union laborer who was forced to work outside his area of expertise by rigging bundles of re bar for a parking garage under construction. Rigging steel is an iron worker's job, and any rigging requires a qualified person under OSHA and IOSHA. The load slipped and landed on our client, nearly severing his arm. Fortunately he was wearing his hard hat, as the load initially struck his head.

Here is a crane similar to the one involved in the Indiana Construction Accident.


The construction safety lessons to be learned from this accident is that only trained riggers should be used to rig  loads, that contractors should respect the skill of different  building trades and that  accident prevention begins at the planning and staffing stage of construction.

If you or a loved one has been injured in an Indiana Construction Accident involving a crane, trench collapse, scaffold accident or other work injury, please call. Our Construction accident law firm Indiana represents injured injured construction workers in Indianapolis, Fort Wayne Evansville, Terre Haute and South Bend. At our firm, ALL INJURIES ARE PERSONAL.  Be Safe.
John
    

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is again honored and humbled to announce a nearly million dollar recovery for an Indiana Ironworker as a result of an Indiana Construction accident. In the interest of privacy, the identity of our client will be protected, but the facts will be discussed in order to prevent further personal injury accidents at Indiana construction sites. Our Ironworker client was injured when a Lull  heavy duty forklift operated by a co-worker hit an open web girder and knocked it onto our client's foot. Despite heroic efforts by the hospital to save two toes, they eventually had to be amputated.

Although not Technically a Crane accident, our client was rigging  girders at the time of the construction accident to have the girder lifted by the crane in order for the Connectors to bolt up the structural steel in place.

Here is a picture of the type of fork lift involved in the accident.  

   

OSHA and IOSHA require structural steel to be stored in a manner to prevent tilting  using racks or blocks, 29 CFR 1926.250.  This  procedure was not followed, resulting in this Indiana Construction Accident.  Our client has made a good recovery, both medically and financially, but I am sure he would rather have his Toes back.

If you are a loved one have been involved in an ironworker construction accident, road construction accident and need a FREE CASE EVALUATION from your Construction Accident Law firm in Indiana, please call.  I can't promise you a million dollar recovery, but I can promise that at our firm, ALL INJURIES ARE PERSONAL.  We represent injured construction workers throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Evansville, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, South Bend and Richmond.  BE SAFE! Call to see if we can help. John

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis Indiana was saddened to hear of the death of Richard Warren, age 51, while repairing a machine used to crush cardboard boxes at Aunt Millie's Bakeriy in Fort Wayne Indiana on July 2, 2009. Apparently Mr. Warren came into contact with electrical wiring which led to his death. IOSHA investigates all work-related deaths    in Indiana, and is conducting an  investigation. Here is a link to an article on this accident.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer has handled too many electricution construction accidents, all of which were preventable if OSHA rules on De-energizing power and following the lock out- tag out safety requirements. Here are a few tips from OSHA  for preventing electrical injuries at Indiana Construction sites:


Electrical hazards can cause burns, shocks and electrocution (death).

• Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
• Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call the electric utility company to report fallen electrical lines.
• Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities. If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires.
• If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call or ask someone to call the local electric utility company and emergency services.
• Never operate electrical equipment while you are standing in water.
• Never repair electrical cords or equipment unless qualified and authorized.
• Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it.
• If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure that they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
• Always use caution when working near electricity.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis was recently interviewed by WRTV 6 regarding the construction accident death of Ironworker Stanley Roberts at the Indianapolis Convention Center.  Here is a link to the article and TV interview.

As posted below, eyewitness reports  indicate  Stanley was  killed when his lift  fell into a  trench that was covered with loosely compacted dirt.  Stanley's head and face was propelled into an overhanging beam and he was killed instantly. The coroner's report is expected to confirm this information.

The Iron Workers Union Local 22 in Indianapolis held a fund raiser for Stanley on Saturday, it was apparent he was loved by all.  Here again are IOSHA  tips for preventing accidents involving lifts:

Aerial Lifts
Safety Tips
Aerial lifts include boom-supported aerial platforms, such as cherry pickers or bucket trucks. The major causes of fatalities are falls, electrocutions, and collapses or tip overs.

• Ensure that workers who operate aerial lifts are properly trained in the safe use of the equipment.
• Maintain and operate elevating work platforms in accordance with the manufacturer's instructions.
• Never override hydraulic, mechanical, or electrical safety devices.
• Never move the equipment with workers in an elevated platform unless this is permitted by the manufacturer.
• Do not allow workers to position themselves between overhead hazards, such as joists and beams, and the rails of the basket. Movement of the lift could crush the worker(s).
• Maintain a minimum clearance of at least 10 feet, or 3 meters, away from the nearest overhead lines.
• Always treat powerlines, wires and other conductors as energized, even if they are down or appear to be insulated.
• Use a body harness or restraining belt with a lanyard attached to the boom or basket to prevent the worker(s) from being ejected or pulled from the basket.
• Set the brakes, and use wheel chocks when on an incline.
• Use outriggers, if provided.
• Do not exceed the load limits of the equipment. Allow for the combined weight of the worker, tools, and materials.

I have the honor of representing the family and Estate of Stanley Roberts, who was killed in a construction accident at the Indianapolis Convention Center on June 17, 2009. Stanley was a member of Iron workers Union Local 22, which has a 108 year tradition of providing the brave men and women who build the buildings we all enjoy.  Stanley was an experienced and safety conscious   iron worker with 15 years experience doing a job he loved.


I am confident IDOL Commissioner Lori Torres and her staff at IOSHA will do a thorough and diligent investigation to determine the root causes of this accident. Often a fatal construction accident begins in the pre-building stage of a project, when adequate safety plans, procedures and equipment   are sacrificed in order to increase the completion speed of a project.  A construction fatality involves many links in a causation chain, with the death of the worker being the final link. 

We do not know at this point if Stanley was provided with the proper harness, lanyard and anchor point that OSHA and IOSHA require.  We do know that a large piece of construction  equipment does not topple without the ground on which it is located being inappropriately prepared for this use. Again, I am confident that IOSHA will do the proper root cause analysis and avoid the "Blame the worker" mentality that has contributed to the average of 26 construction worker fatalities each year involving aerial lifts. 

In interviews with eyewitnesses, it is apparent that Stanley was in all likelihood killed when his head and face was slammed into the beam when the  lift fell over. There is a photo of the scene taken immediately after the accident  showing that the lift was toppled over after coming into contact with a trench that had not been compacted properly. leaving what was in effect a trap for Stanley.  You can also see from the extensive damage to the lift basket that occurred AFTER Stanley was hit  how hard the impact was.  These lifts have gates on them, and the impact was sufficient to tear the gate free and mushroom the safety rails, again after Stanley had taken the brunt of the impact. We are confident  the Coroner's report will show the cause of  Stanley  Robert's death was the initial impact of his head and face against the beam, and the issue of fall protection is irrelevant.





 

There will be plenty of time to seek compensation, but now is the time for contemplation on how we can learn from this tragedy and to celebrate a life that was ended to soon.


Sadly, I gave a speech on this subject at the Indiana Worker's Memorial in April. Here is a link to that speech.  

Please keep Kathy Roberts and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

Thank You.

Your Indiana Construction accident lawyer was saddened to hear that a 31 year old construction worker was  seriously injured at the construction of a new Wal-Mart in Lebanon Indiana on June 10, 2009.  Your Indiana Construction accident Lawyer lives nearby, in Westfield Indiana. Apparently, the Construction worker fell face first into an electrically charged control panel, causing severe personal injuries. The worker is currently at the burn unit in Wishard.  As of June 11, 2009, no IOSHA investigation  had been reported.

A link to the story of the Wal-Mart  construction accident in Lebanon Indiana is available here.

Your INDIANA CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT LAWYER  in Indianapolis has a lot of experience with construction accidents involving electricity, many involving wrongful death or terrible burns, including Clinton Gray, an electrician who was killed building a Kroger store in Indianapolis in 2007. OSHA does not permit workers to work in an area that they can be exposed to electric shock, and Wal-Mart contractually obligates its Contractors ensure these accidents do not happen.  Our hearts go out to the worker and his family in the hopes for a speedy recovery.

Here is a little OSHA help to avoid electrical accidents:

Electrical Safety
Electrical hazards can cause burns, shocks and electrocution (death).

• Assume that all overhead wires are energized at lethal voltages. Never assume that a wire is safe to touch even if it is down or appears to be insulated.
• Never touch a fallen overhead power line. Call the electric utility company to report fallen electrical lines.
• Stay at least 10 feet (3 meters) away from overhead wires during cleanup and other activities. If working at heights or handling long objects, survey the area before starting work for the presence of overhead wires.
• If an overhead wire falls across your vehicle while you are driving, stay inside the vehicle and continue to drive away from the line. If the engine stalls, do not leave your vehicle. Warn people not to touch the vehicle or the wire. Call or ask someone to call the local electric utility company and emergency services.
• Never operate electrical equipment while you are standing in water.
• Never repair electrical cords or equipment unless qualified and authorized.
• Have a qualified electrician inspect electrical equipment that has gotten wet before energizing it.
• If working in damp locations, inspect electric cords and equipment to ensure that they are in good condition and free of defects, and use a ground-fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
• Always use caution when working near electricity.

Indiana should follow the lead of New York; Chicago and Philadelphia in sharing information on crane accidents.  There is currently no national database for tower crane accidents. The cranes frequently move from one state's building site to another and can be 70 stories high. New York and Chicago both had  several wrongful death accidents involving tower cranes. The New York Times Article on Crane Accident Prevention dated June 15, 2009 is available on this link.    

Crane Accidents are often fatal, not only top the operator, but also those construction workers on the ground.  Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer remembers working on a Construction accident crane case in Indianapolis Indiana in which a load slipped  from a crane on the roof of a construction site and instantly killed an Indiana Construction worker below.  THe accident was a result of faulty rigging equipment, in this case slings, and the failure to designate the area below as an area to avoid working in. 

If You or a loved one has been injured   in a crane accident, or need a Road Construction Accident Lawyer, please call.  Workers Compensation in Indiana has some of the lowest  benefits in the country, so there may be more money available. We represent injured Construction workers in Indianapolis, Terre Haute, South Bend,  Fort Wayne and Evansville.    If  you need help, please call for a FREE CASE EVALUATION! 

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is frequently called to be an Indiana Ironworker Accident Lawyer.  Most ironworker accidents involve serious personal injuries from falls while connnecting or decking. With the amount of road and bridge construction in Indiana, with more certain to come, Road Construction Accidents involving ironworkers are becoming more common. Your Indiana Construction accident lawyer was pleased to see the bridge contractors over Keystone Avenue in Indianapolis were requiring harnesses and lanyards to be used with a lifeline system attached above each ironworker. Ironworkers Union Local 22 does a good job of safety training for its members, but under OSHA and IOSHA,  ironworkers must be  provided with a fall protection system that is in place before work begins.

Here is a video of some iron workers and iron work. 







If you are an iron worker who has been injured in a construction accident, I would be happy to give you a FREE CASE EVALUATION so just call or email me at jdaly@cohenandmalad.com.
Our Construction Accident law firm in Indiana represents injured masons, iron workers, electricians, laborers etc. throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, South Bend, Fort Wayne, Floyd's  Knobbs, Evansville and Terre Haute. Indiana Construction accidents are what I do.  BE SAFE! 

John 
  

Your Indiana Construction Accident lawyer is saddened  to report on the death of another Indiana worker, 54 year old Alexander Santoyo who fell Saturday, June 6,  2009.  He apperantly fell  90 feet from an overhead crane at the U.S. Stel's Gary Works in Gary Indiana.  Details remain sketchy, but apparently Mr Santoyo ws a maintenance foreman.   An article on the  Indiana Crane accident death from the South Bend Tribune is linked here.  

Although it involved a crane, it is likely this accident will result in an OSHA or IOSHA fine based on inadequate fall protection.  If adequate fall protection was involved, then death and serious injury can always be prevented. This includes where lengthy ladder climbs are involved, or cat walks.  Falls must be anticipated any time Indiana Construction workers are working 6 feet off the ground and adequate fall protection provided.  OSHA approves railings, harnesses and lanyards, positioning devices and various means of preventing construction accidents involving falls.   I  always say  that its not the fall, its the landing.  Our hearts go out to Mr. Santoyo's family.

Here are some pointers from OSHA  on fall protection:

Fall Protection Tips

Identify all potential tripping and fall hazards before work starts.   Look for fall hazards such as unprotected floor openings/edges, shafts, skylights, stairwells, and roof openings/edges.   Inspect fall protection equipment for defects before use.   Select, wear, and use fall protection equipment appropriate for the task.   Secure and stabilize all ladders before climbing them.   Never stand on the top rung/step of a ladder.   Use handrails when you go up or down stairs.   Practice good housekeeping. Keep cords, welding leads and air hoses out of walkways or adjacent work areas.

Consejos para Protección de Caídas

Antes de comenzar a trabajar, identifique los riesgos potenciales contra tropiezos y caídas.   Esté atento a los riesgos de caídas tales como inseguridades en pisos, cubiertas/orillas no protegidas, huecos, tragaluces, escaleras y aperturas en techos/orillas.   Antes de usar el equipo de protección contra caídas inspecciónelo e identifique los defectos.   Seleccione, póngase y use apropiadamente el equipo de protección contra caídas para la tárea asignada.   Asegure y estabilize todas las escaleras antes de subirlas.   Nunca se pare en el peldaño o escalón superior de una escalera.   Use las barandas cuando usted suba o baje una escalera.   Practique buena organización/ limpieza. Mantenga los cables, cables de soldadura y mangas de aire fuera de los pasillos o áreas de trabajo adyacentes.

If you or  a loved one has been  injured or killed in an Indiana Crane accident, or other construction accident, we want to be your Indiana Construction accident Law Firm. We Represent injured iron workers, carpenters, electricians, masons and other Indiana workers  throughout the state, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Gary, South Bend, Valparaiso, Terre Haute and Evansville.  Please review our FREE GUIDE TO CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS.   

Sometimes your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer is Your Trench Collapse Lawyer in Indiana, and those are sad days indeed.  Trench collapse accidents have been thouroughly studied by OSHA and IOSHA and are easily prevented if OSHA Construction Accident Laws are followed.  Basically, a trench box is required for the worker to work in. In addition, a ladder for getting in and out of the trench prevents the sides from crumbling and finally the excavating equipment and dirt pile have to be far enough away from the trench to prevent their weight from collapsing the trench.

Here is the result when Construction Safety Rules are not followed:



Here are some tips from OSHA to prevent Trench collapses:

Working safely in trenches Do NOT enter an unprotected trench! Each employee in a trench shall be protected from a cave-in by an adequate protective system.

Some of the protective systems for trenches are:

• Sloped for stability; or
• Cut to create stepped benched grades; or
• Supported by a system made with posts, beams, shores or planking and hydraulic jacks; or
•Supported by a trench box to protect workers in a trench.
Additionally, excavated or other materials must be at least 2 feet back from the edge of a trench; and
A safe means of egress shall be provided within 25 feet of workers in a trench.

Your Indiana Construction Accident Lawyer was recently asked if a General Contractor can be responsible for a fatal scaffold accident in Evansville, Indiana.  The answer is a bit complicated and requires knowledge of Construction Contracts, OSHA and IOSHA regulations and Workers Compensation in Indiana.  Generally however, the general contractor or construction manager can be responsible for a construction accident in Indiana in two ways:  First, if the General Contractor agrees in its contract with the Owner to be responsible for safety on the construction site. Second, If the General Contractor has accepted safety responsibilities by holding safety meetings, doing construction safety inspections or providing the scaffold involved in the accident.  It is also possible that the general contractor is responsible for an Indiana Scaffold accident under both theories.

Here is a video of a scaffold accident with a better ending.
 



If you or a loved one have been injured in an Indiana construction accident involving a scaffold, scissor lift, iron working, masonry or road construction, our Construction Accident Law Firm in Indianapolis Indiana can help. We represent injured construction accident victims and their families throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Terre Haute, New Albany, South Bend and Evansville.  The only way to know FOR SURE if you have a case is to call. BE SAFE!  

So far this year there seem to be fewer  Indiana crane accidents, according to your Construction Accident Lawyer in Indianapolis Indiana. This may be  a result of the recession decreasing the over all number of Crane Accidents in Indiana,  better safety practices by the crane companies and general contractors, or better enforcement of Crane safety OSHA and IOSHA regulations. Perhaps alll of the above.  The Crane accidents most frequently seen by your Indiana Construction Accident Law firm involve contact with power lines resulting in electrocution,  or instability of the crane resulting it tipping over.  Other frequent crane accidents involve improper rigging and other material handling mishaps.  As a reminder, here is a video of one of the New York City Crane accidents from last  year.  



Here are tips from OSHA about avoiding Crane accidents:


Crane Safety
Fatalities and serious injuries can occur if cranes are not inspected and used properly. Many fatalities can occur when the crane boom, load line or load contacts power lines and shorts electricity to ground. Other incidents happen when workers are struck by the load, are caught inside the swing radius or fail to assemble/ disassemble the crane properly.

• Cranes are to be operated only by qualified and trained personnel.
• A designated competent person must inspect the crane and all crane controls before use.
• Be sure the crane is on a firm/stable surface and level.
• During assembly/disassembly do not unlock or remove pins unless sections are blocked and secure (stable).
• Fully extend outriggers and barricade accessible areas inside the crane’s swing radius.
• Watch for overhead electric power lines and maintain at least a 10-foot safe working clearance from the lines.
• Inspect all rigging prior to use; do not wrap hoist lines around the load.
• Be sure to use the correct load chart for the crane’s current configuration and setup, the load weight and lift path.
• Do not exceed the load chart capacity while making lifts.
• Raise load a few inches, hold, verify capacity/balance, and test brake system before delivering load.
• Do not move loads over workers.
• Be sure to follow signals and manufacturer instructions while operating cranes.

www.osha.gov

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If you or a loved one has been injured in a crane accident and need to discuss your case with a crane accident lawyer in Indiana, I would be happy to speak with you at no charge. We represent operators, electricians, masons, ironworkers and laborers in construction accidents throughout Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Richmond, Evansville, Terre Haute and South Bend. BE SAFE!