Collapsing Floor or Stair Accidents
Temporary floors and stairs are some of the most neglected areas of a construction site. The injuries that result when a worker suffers an accident on a collapsing floor or stairway can be extremely serious.
Some of the most neglected sites on a building under construction can be temporary floors and stairs that are erected to give workers access to other areas of the construction site. Because these stairs and floors are temporary, they may not always be safe or stable. As a result, workers can fall through the stairs during a floor collapse, or may suffer a fall through an opening in a wall.
Most buildings under construction will have temporary stairs constructed to connect workers with the upper floors. These stairways are temporary structures, and are therefore not constructed to the highest safety standards. For instance, the stairway may consist of concrete steps that are haphazardly laid and may lack guardrails and railings. A worker may use these stairs several times a day. That places him or her at risk of serious injury or even death when he or she falls off the stairs or when the stairway collapses.
Similarly, a construction site may also contain unstable or temporary flooring that may be badly constructed and may pose a serious injury hazard to a worker. A floor like this may not have enough supporting beams to make it stable and sturdy. The floors may contain openings, and these openings may not have warnings or markers placed around them, posing a serious fall hazard to the worker. A worker who falls down an opening like this is at risk of suffering serious injury or even death.
During a fall accident workers may suffer serious fractures, spinal cord injuries, and head injuries which lead to traumatic brain injury. These are long-term and catastrophic injuries that can severely limit the worker’s ability to return to his or her job and earn a livelihood. Besides, workers may also be at risk for internal injuries, amputations, and even death from such falls.
Peter Ventura is a Massachusetts workplace injury lawyer dedicated to representing injured workers in the Massachusetts area and helping them recover compensation for their injuries.