Heavy Equipment Accidents on Construction Sites

Heavy Equipment Accidents on Construction Sites

By Pyle Law, Reviewed by E. Thomas Pyle July 06 2020 12:39 pm

Construction work is one of the most dangerous occupations, and the heavy equipment that fuels such work is one of the most dangerous factors involved. The sheer size and weight of the heavy machinery common to construction sites makes any accidents involving them potentially deadly accidents. If you or someone you love has been injured in a heavy equipment accident on the job, you need the professional legal counsel of an experienced Kansas workers’ compensation attorney on your side. 

Common Causes

Every accident involving heavy equipment on the construction site is unique with its own set of circumstances, but there are several causes that are commonly associated with these dangerous accidents, including:

• Employers who fail to provide adequate safety training for the heavy machinery on the site
• Inadequate supervision – or the absence of supervision – on the site
• Heavy equipment that is poorly maintained, badly worn, or otherwise dangerous 
• Heavy equipment that is flawed in terms of its design or manufacture
• Heavy equipment in which requisite safety warnings are inadequately displayed – or are missing altogether
• Coworkers who are negligent regarding safety
• Poorly managed construction sites or construction sites that are dangerous environments to begin with – with unstable surfaces and/or dangerously erected structures, for example

Whatever the cause, however, accidents involving heavy equipment can be highly dangerous.

Heavy Equipment Accidents: The Statistics

The Bureau of Labor Statistics forwards several important statistics related to accidents involving heavy equipment in 2018, including:

• Accidents involving employees who came into contact with heavy equipment rose by 13 percent over the previous year.
• A 39 percent increase in workers caught in running equipment accounted for some of the overall increase.
• A 17 percent increase in workers injured by falling equipment also accounted for a portion of the overall increase.  

Accident Categories

While accidents involving heavy equipment can take any number of forms, common categories include:

• Accidents involving large trucks are some of the most common fatal construction site accidents.
• Rollover accidents are among the most common heavy-equipment accidents, and they are as dangerous as they are terrifying. Rollovers can be caused by loads that are too heavy, are poorly distributed, and/or are lifted too high above the machine’s center of gravity, uneven terrain, and collisions.
• Struck-by accidents involve employees being struck by a piece of heavy equipment rather than being injured while operating that piece of heavy equipment. Often these accidents happen when the heavy equipment involved is backing up. 

Don’t Delay Consulting with an Experienced Kansas Workers’ Compensation Attorney 

Construction site accidents involving heavy equipment are among the most dangerous accidents in an already extremely dangerous profession. Because obtaining the maximum compensation to which you are entitled is critical to your ability to reach your fullest recovery, the dedicated workers’ compensation attorney at Pyle Law in Kansas is committed to building your strongest case and aggressively advocating for your rights. Our experienced legal team is here for you, so please don’t hesitate to contact us online or call us at 620-374-9299 for more information today.