Many serious or fatal injuries occur on construction sites. Often, these injuries are a result of faulty or defective construction equipment, incorrect operation of equipment, or a failure to adhere to safety regulations when operating equipment.

In these cases, it is imperative that you speak with a Milwaukee construction injury lawyer prior to attempting to file a claim to recover compensation, whether through workers’ compensation insurance or through filing a third-party lawsuit. The amount of financial compensation recovered will in large part, be based upon the skills, knowledge, and experience of your attorney.

At Cannon & Dunphy, we are trial lawyers with a long record of high-value settlements and verdicts. In fact, our Wisconsin injury lawyers have recovered more than $1 billion in damages for clients over our years in practice. Call us immediately for help if you or a loved one was injured in an accident involving faulty or defective construction equipment.

two construction workers in hard hats working outside

“Struck By” Injuries in Construction: The Statistics

The Center for Construction Research and Training, a governmental agency, released a report that revealed the staggering numbers of fatal accidents in the construction industry. One of the deadliest types of accidents – that occur far too frequently – are termed “struck-by” injuries, one of OSHA’s “Fatal Four.” These accidents include being struck by a vehicle or struck by an object or equipment. The breakdown of types of equipment leading to fatal injuries is as follows:

Struck by a Vehicle

In work zone – 57.3%
In non-roadway – 19%
In roadway – 10.7%
On side of road – 9.6%

Struck by Object or Equipment

Falling object or equipment 51.4%
Struck by powered vehicle (non-transport) 33.1%
Discharged flying object 6.2 %

Most Dangerous Construction Equipment

While working construction poses risks in all zones, certain types of construction equipment are recognized as being extremely dangerous, including:

Crane Accidents: Cranes are considered the most dangerous piece of equipment on construction sites and have been for the past two decades.
Bulldozer Accidents: Of all construction industry machinery-related fatalities, a large percentage were directly related to the use of bulldozers on construction sites.
Dump Truck Accidents: Dump trucks must be raised to dump the load, with the operation involving hydraulics. Any machinery fault in which the dump truck loses its elevated position can lead to serious or fatal injuries.
Backhoe Accidents: Commonly used on construction sites, backhoes cause a great number of serious or fatal injuries. A worker may be caught in the way, run over, trapped in a rollover, hit by the bucket, or trapped beneath a backhoe.
Excavator Accidents: Excavating equipment poses a risk to workers, who may be struck by the digging bucket, come into contact with live electrical cables leading to electrocution, or crushed beneath an excavator which has failed due to malfunctioning hydraulics.

Who Was at Fault?

It is critical to have the accident fully investigated by a Milwaukee construction injury lawyer to determine the at-fault parties. In many cases, the responsible party is a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, parts manufacturer, or another third party. While your employer is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance, the benefits paid are typically far lower than the injured, or the family will need to survive in the years ahead. The ability to seek higher levels of compensation through a third-party lawsuit opens the door to the possibility of recovering fair compensation for a serious injury or the loss of a loved one.

Let Cannon & Dunphy S.C. Help

You need a skilled Milwaukee construction accident lawyer to assist you through the process of filing a lawsuit. Our legal team has achieved remarkable results for our clients – with over $1 billion recovered over our years in practice, many of which were $10 million or more. Contact us – there is no risk, as we take on cases on a contingency basis, with no fees unless we are successful. Call today.