Construction Boom Fuels Rise in Work Site Accidents
Three people died in work accidents at construction sites in Omaha in 2022, but accidental injuries can happen at any workplace.
Even when employers follow safety regulations, accidental injuries in the workplace sometimes occur. Workers’ compensation laws have created a streamlined process by which employees injured on the job can file a workers’ compensation claim and receive treatment for their injuries, paid for by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance rather than by the employee’s own health insurance. You have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim for any injury that happens at any job, but severe injuries that happen at work are more common in some industries than in others. A Nebraska workers’ compensation lawyer can help you exercise your rights under workers’ compensation laws, no matter your line of work and the nature of your injuries.
Construction Accidents in Omaha
Accidents at construction sites account for a disproportionate share of workplace accidents that result in serious injury or death. Omaha experienced a construction boom after the pandemic. The good news is that this was good for the economy, but the bad news is that it led to an increase in severe workplace accidents. In 2022, three people were killed in accidents while working at construction sites in the Omaha area. One of the victims was a 60-year-old man who was working under a skid loader when its bucket lowered onto him. The KETV news website did not give any details about the other accidents.
Common Types of Work Accidents
Workers’ compensation covers all kinds of accidents, as long as they occur at your work site while you are working. Case in point, a woman in Florida successfully filed a workers’ compensation claim for injuries sustained in an accidental fall that happened when she tripped over her dog while working from home. Despite this, many workers’ compensation claims relate to the most common types of work accidents, including the following:
- Accidental falls when workers are walking on slippery or uneven surfaces
- Motor vehicle collisions at construction sites or warehouses or when professional drivers are driving in traffic
- Objects falling from shelves and injuring workers at retail stores or warehouses
- Repetitive strain injuries sustained by factory workers or by office workers who spend long hours typing on a computer
- Burn injuries or electric shock injuries at construction or maintenance jobs
- Workers falling from ladders or roofs
- Injuries resulting from malfunctions of work machinery
Many workplace accidents are preventable if employers maintain the work environment in a safe condition and provide protective equipment and safety training for employees. If unsafe conditions at your job site contributed to the accident, you should report this matter to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Contact Andres Law Offices, PC LLO, About Accidental Injuries at Work
A Nebraska workers’ compensation lawyer can help you if you have been injured in an accident