In the United States, over 500,000 injuries occur in the construction business every year, of which an estimated 1,000 result in death. In fact, California has the highest number of construction site accidents annually. Taking these numbers into consideration, working at a construction site is the most dangerous occupation in the country. Construction site accidents can happen in numerous ways: carbon monoxide poisoning, electrical accidents, scaffolding and ladder accidents, equipment malfunctions and more.

When an accident occurs at a construction site, there are various parties that can be held responsible for the accident. The owner, general contractor and subcontractors are required by law to provide a safe construction site, educate workers on possible hazards as well as make sure that the site complies with safety specifications. Sometimes, it is not the construction site itself that proves to be dangerous, but faulty equipment that causes injury or in some cases death. In these cases, the manufacturers of the equipment or general contractors who used the equipment could be liable for third party negligence.

The Worker’s Compensation Act was created to provide benefits for workers that are injured on their job or suffer an occupational disease. It is designed to provide payments to workers based on a percentage of their wages. Worker’s compensation will also help cover reasonable medical expenses. However, worker’s compensation may not be enough when personal injuries are serious or fatal.