No. 2 Opus Place Construction Site Injuries

Midtown Atlanta’s Number 2 Opus Place is a development project that is already several years in the making, with the goal of creating Atlanta’s tallest residential high-rise. This 4-acre site is set to house millions of square feet of apartments, offices, and retail space. Some preliminary work has been done on the project, but it has run into some major snags along the way.

Last fall, developers were optimistic that construction of the Number 2 Opus Place project would begin in earnest by November of 2019 and that the development would be completed by October 2022. But in January of this year, the developers announced that more than half of their site (2.2 acres) is now up for grabs. This has created additional uncertainty about the timeline of the project and whether or not it will ever get completed.

Construction Injuries at No. 2 Opus Place

The state of Georgia is now reopened after the COVID-19 closures, and as we get into the summer months, construction activity is increasing all over the Atlanta area. The future of the Number 2 Opus Place project is still in doubt, but if they want to have any hope at all of staying on schedule, they will need to make significant progress during the remainder of this year.

A fully completed development on the 4-acre Number 2 Opus Place site will mean hundreds of additional residential units for those who work and go to school in Midtown Atlanta, as well as many new job opportunities to work in the offices and retail shops. Building what will be Atlanta’s tallest residential property (if it gets completed) will also be a major undertaking that requires numerous construction workers and workers in related industries.

The Number 2 Opus Place project will provide housing and jobs to the Atlanta area, which will strengthen the economy. But this all comes at a potential cost. Construction is among the most dangerous industries, and workers on job sites are exposed to numerous hazards on a daily basis.

Even though they will be working under a rushed schedule, workplace safety must remain a top priority. Otherwise, many of those who are working on this development could be at risk for serious injuries.

OSHA regularly inspects construction job sites throughout the country, and unfortunately, they routinely come up with numerous safety violations. Some of the most common OSHA violations on construction sites include:

• Fall Protection
• Hazard Communication
• Powered Industrial Trucks
• Ladders
• Scaffolding
• Machinery and Machine Guarding
• Eye and Face Protection
• Hazardous Energy Control

When there are workplace safety violations, a number of hazardous events can happen. Within the construction industry, OSHA points to four specific incidents that account for approximately 60% of all construction-related accidents:

• Falls
• Being Struck by/Struck Against Events
• Electrocutions/Electrical Injuries
• Being Caught In-Between

These are events that frequently happen on site, but OSHA also notes that many construction workers also get injured because of vehicle collisions that often happen off-site. When a major project like Number 2 Opus Place is in full swing, thousands of pounds worth of materials and supplies will need to be brought in each day, requiring multiple commercial drivers making trips to and from supply centers.

Construction Site Injuries in Midtown Atlanta

When someone gets hurt while working on the Number 2 Opus Place development or any other Fulton County construction project, it can be a life-altering event. Medical bills can pile up, and they might be forced to miss work for an extended period of time. These types of injuries also taken a major emotional toll on victims and their families as the injured person often endures extreme pain and suffering while having to live with the anxiety of not knowing when they will be able to provide again for their household.

Workers’ compensation helps cover some of these losses, but it does not usually go far enough. Through workers’ comp, you can get coverage for necessary medical expenses, a portion of lost wages, and some other reimbursements; but unfortunately, this system does not reimburse you for intangible losses such as physical and emotional pain-and-suffering and diminished quality of life.

Unfortunately, most Georgia employees are prohibited from filing a lawsuit against an employer that maintains workers’ compensation coverage. But the good news is that there may be other available legal avenues toward recovering the compensation you deserve. For example, there might be a third party that contributed to your accident, in which case you may be able to file a personal injury claim directly against the responsible party.

These types of situations are more common with construction injuries than most people realize. On a Midtown Atlanta development project, for example, there are a number of different ‘moving parts’ that must be managed, and on any given day, there are numerous contractors and subcontractors that are working alongside each other. If one of those parties contributes to a construction injury, they could be held liable.

As we talked about earlier, another frequent occurrence with construction workers is getting injured in a vehicle accident. And more often than not, this happens off-site when a driver is transporting supplies or if they are on their way to or from work.

Faulty or dangerous machinery and equipment is another hazard that often contributes to construction site accidents. Construction projects require heavy machinery to get the job done, and these products must be fully functional and durable to withstand a fast-paced work environment.

If a product malfunctions or is shown to be dangerous during the course of regular use, it could injure a construction worker that is using it. When this happens, the injured worker may be able to file a product liability claim against the manufacturer, distributor, or any other party within the product’s supply chain.

Every case is different in every circumstance is unique. But one common thread with construction site injuries is that these types of cases tend to be very complicated. For this reason, it is important for injured workers to contact a firm that has in-depth knowledge of this area of the law and a proven track record of success recovering compensation on behalf of past clients they have represented.

Contact Bailey, Javins, & Carter, L.C. for Assistance with Atlanta Construction Site Injuries

If you or someone close to you got hurt on the job, call the construction accident lawyers at Bailey, Javins & Carter. We are here to help! We will provide a free consultation to thoroughly assess your case and advise you of your legal rights and options. And if we do take your case, you will not have to pay us any attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you.

Message us online or call our Atlanta office today at (678) 981-5370 to speak with a member of our legal team. We look forward to serving you!