Scaffold Accidents

Scaffolds are an important part of the construction industry.  However, dangerous and poorly constructed scaffolds can cause serious injuries at New Orleans construction sites. Falls are the number one cause of worker death in the construction industry, outside of highway accidents. The lawyers at the Law Office of John W. Redmann, LLC have represented workers involved in serious scaffold accidents. If you or a loved one were injured, we can help your family understand your rights and take legal action in pursuit of recovery after a scaffold accident in Louisiana.

Why Do Scaffold Accidents Happen?

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) found that fall protection in construction was the number one most frequently cited safety standard violated in 2017. OSHA has many rules and guidelines in place to help companies ensure the safety of workers on scaffolds. Unfortunately, many employers ignore these rules to save time or money. This results in preventable scaffold accidents. The most common causes of scaffold accidents include:

• Poor scaffold construction. Workers must plank and deck every scaffold as fully as possible, with the space between the platform and the uprights a maximum of one inch wide. Scaffolds should be able to support its own weight, plus four times the amount of the intended load. These are just two of dozens of rules for scaffold construction. Breaking these rules is a dangerous act of negligence.
• Lack of employee safety training. Construction companies must properly train workers to construct and utilize scaffolds in the safest manner possible, obeying all OSHA rules. Failure to adequately train employees can result in preventable accidents, such as erecting a scaffold too close to a live power line. The company is responsible for training all workers to build and operate scaffolds safely.
• No fall protection. According to OSHA, all employers must provide fall protection for each employee using a scaffold more than 10 feet above a lower level. Fall protection can include scaffold guardrails and personal fall arrest systems. Lack of fall protection, when required, is a mistake on an employer’s part that could result in liability for a scaffold accident and fall-related injuries.
• Defective scaffold parts. Sometimes, it is not an employer or worker’s fault that a scaffold collapses and causes serious injuries. Sometimes, the scaffold part manufacturer is responsible for releasing defective or dangerously designed equipment. In these cases, injured parties can file product liability claims against the item manufacturer.

Negligence is often at the heart of serious scaffold accidents. An employer, coworker, or product manufacturer may be legally responsible for paying for a victim’s damages if the party was negligent in some way that contributed to the accident. Our law firm can help you prove negligence if this is the case. We have years of experience handling all types of construction and scaffold accident claims throughout Louisiana.

When to Call Our Lawyers

Call us after a scaffold accident if you suspect negligence had something to do with it, if your injuries are catastrophic, or if you lost a loved one due to a scaffold-related fall. Workers’ compensation alone will often not be enough to cover damages. You may qualify for further compensation through a personal injury claim. This would be the case if someone other than your employer is responsible for causing your injuries, such as a coworker or contractor. Otherwise, we can help you get the most for your workers’ comp claim.

Our team can help you file a scaffold accident claim within the state’s deadlines in Louisiana. Whether you suffered injuries in a scaffold slip and fall, scaffold collapse, failed support system, or after someone dropped something from a scaffold that struck you, let us assist you with your case. Our dedicated attorneys will listen to your story, investigate your case, and let you know what we believe your case is worth. Call (504) 500-5000 or request a consultation online today.