Construction Accidents Involving Heavy Machinery Can Cause Serious Harm
The legal team here at our Salt Lake City law firm is committed to helping those who are injured while on the job. Strong legal counsel is especially important for lawsuits involving industrial injuries and construction accidents. Our lawyers will help injury victims and their loved ones receive just compensation for negligence and can also help in cases involving workers' compensation insurance.
Accidents involving heavy machinery can lead to severe injuries. We'd like to consider these matters in greater detail right now.
Heavy Machinery Is Necessary But Can Prove Deadly
Heavy machinery is necessary for doing major construction and earthwork tasks. Only by using heavy equipment can large amounts of dirt and soil be moved, structures erected or destroyed, and other difficult jobs be accomplished. Some examples of heavy machinery at construction sites include the following:
- Bulldozers
- Backhoes
- Excavators
- Trenchers
- Wheel loaders
- Graders
- Compactors
These are exceptional tools and vehicles, and they need to be used carefully in order to avoid major injuries and accidents. Even though a number of worksites and construction sites may seem safe, heavy equipment can make the area more dangerous and potentially deadly. There are a number of ways in which this might be the case.
Inexperienced Drivers Can Injure Themselves and Others
In some cases, injuries at a construction site related to heavy machinery are the result of an inexperienced driver operating the vehicle. The inexperienced driver poses a threat to himself or herself as well as any co-workers in the vicinity of the vehicle. Bystanders may similarly be injured due to poor operation of the vehicle.
Anyone who is tasked with operating heavy equipment of any kind should be properly trained in the use of the vehicle. This should be verified before a person is cleared to operate any heavy equipment.
Poorly Maintained Vehicles Can Cause Grievous Bodily Harm
Sometimes the issue isn't the person operating the vehicle but rather the heavy equipment itself. Like other kinds of vehicles and machinery, it's important that heavy equipment be regularly services and undergo routine maintenance. The failure to properly service these vehicles make them more prone to breaking down or malfunctioning while on the job. This, in turn, makes serious accidents and injuries more likely.
Construction companies must ensure that all vehicles that they use or that they rent are in proper working order. This is just a sound way to prevent a number of serious mishaps that can affect workers and pedestrians who are around a worksite.
Using Heavy Machinery Needs to Be Properly Supervised and Overseen
It's of the utmost importance that heavy equipment use is properly supervised and overseen. By having other workers looking out for the person operating the vehicle, major accidents and injuries are preventable. This is especially important for maneuvering a vehicle into position, backing the vehicle out of an area, and so forth.
Learn More About Your Legal Options After a Construction Accident
If you would like to learn more about your legal options after a construction accident, it's important that you contact our personal injury law firm today. The lawyers at our Salt Lake City law firm will help you in your time of legal need.