The Mark Construction Site Accidents in Atlanta

A 28-story student housing tower is currently under construction on the 1.1-acre site (that was formally the home of a Domino’s Pizza) at the corner of 10^th Street and Spring St. in Midtown Atlanta. The project is known as “The Mark”, and it is a joint venture between Landmark Properties and CityLife Development Partners.

The tower is expected to house more than 280 apartments with accommodations for as many as 780 college students, and it is slated for completion in the fall of this year. The Mark is one of several recent student housing developments, and it will provide additional living options for the many college students in this area.

Injury Risks at Midtown Atlanta Construction Sites

Construction projects like The Mark require countless workers who work from sunup to sundown for several months in order to bring it to completion. These are long, tiring days, and workers are often asked to put in a lot of overtime. As the project nears its end, workers will also have to deal with the sweltering summer heat and humidity that Atlanta is known for.

With so many people working hard performing their tasks, the risks of injury are heightened. And under these conditions, worker safety must be a top priority. This is especially true on major Midtown Atlanta projects where the workers are often situated several stories above the ground. Any type of mishap can result in a serious workplace injury, and this can cause a construction employee to be laid up for an extended period of time.

OSHA performs regular inspections on construction sites, and unfortunately, they often uncover safety violations. Some of the most common violations of OSHA safety standards include:

• Fall protection;
• Ladders and scaffolding;
• Hazard communications;
• Machinery and machine guarding;
• Eye and face protection;
• Respiratory protection;
• Control of hazardous substances.

An average of 14 American workers are killed on the job each and every day. Sadly, one out of every five of these deaths is in the construction industry. OSHA identifies what it refers to as the “fatal four” construction accidents, the four most common events that account for almost 60% of all construction related fatalities. These are:

• Slips, Trips, and Falls
• Being Struck By/Struck Against Events
• Electrical Injuries
• Being Caught In Between/Crush Injuries

In addition to these, there are several other hazardous events that happen frequently on construction sites like The Mark:

• Structural collapses;
• Fires and explosions;
• Hearing loss from loud noises;
• Tool and machinery accidents;
• Crane accidents;
• Exposure to toxic chemicals and other substances;
• Transportation accidents.

Liability for an Atlanta Construction Site Injury

If a worker is injured at The Mark or any other Fulton County construction site, it can have a devastating effect on the injury victim and their family. The medical bills alone can bankrupt the average person and being out of work for an extended period of time can also put a major financial squeeze on the entire household. If the injury is permanent and debilitating, the victim may never be able to do construction work (or participate in any other type of gainful activity) again.

As bad as all this sounds, this is only part of the story. When someone is out of work having to recover from an injury, they have days, weeks, and even months of painful recovery time to look forward to. Every injury is different, and it can be difficult to determine when life will return to normal. This causes enormous anxiety for the whole family, and any hopes and dreams they had will have to be put on hold until this situation is resolved.

After a construction site injury, a worker can usually claim benefits through their employer’s workers’ compensation policy (if they have workers’ comp insurance), but these benefits do not come close to fully compensating them for the injury.

Through workers’ comp, injured construction workers are only able to obtain reimbursement for necessary medical bills, a percentage of lost earnings, and a few other things. Unfortunately, there is nothing available to compensate for noneconomic losses such as pain-and-suffering, emotional trauma, and diminished quality of life.

Although workers’ comp does not provide satisfactory benefits for injured construction workers, there may be other options that can help workers get the full and fair compensation they deserve. Construction accidents often have multiple contributing factors, and oftentimes, a party other than the employer shares at least some of the fault for the accident and subsequent injury.

Some examples of instances when another party might be at fault for a construction injury include:

• The injury happens because the construction worker is struck by third-party subcontractor who is working nearby;
• A platform or structure collapses and causes serious injury to those working on it, and it is determined that the collapse resulted from a faulty design;
• A construction worker is severely injured after working with a heavy piece of equipment or machinery that malfunctions;
• A construction worker leaves the job site to go pick up some supplies and his/her vehicle is struck by another vehicle.

When an event like this occurs, additional legal avenues are opened up to you, and you may be able to file a personal injury claim directly against the party that caused your injuries. This would allow you the opportunity to recover both economic and noneconomic damages, which can provide the financial help your family needs to get you through this difficult time.

Construction accident injury cases can be very complicated and difficult to pursue, and a thorough investigation is needed in order to determine the exact cause of the accident and who can be held responsible. For this reason, it is very important to work with attorneys who understand the complexities of these types of cases and have the proven ability to recover maximum compensation for their clients.

Injured at a Construction Site in Fulton County? Contact Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C. for Assistance

If you or someone close to you got injured while working on The Mark project or any other construction project in the Atlanta area, get medical treatment right away, inform your employer about the injury, then contact Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C. for legal help. We will meet with you to fully assess your case and advise you of your legal rights and options. And if we take your case, we will not charge you attorney fees unless we recover compensation on your behalf.

To schedule a free consultation with one of our experienced workplace accident attorneys, message us online or call our Atlanta office today at (678) 981-5370. We look forward to serving you!