Dump Truck Operator Injuries
Heavy machinery operators on construction sites, as well as construction workers whose jobs require work to be done around heavy machinery, are at significant risk of a debilitating or deadly injury. Dump trucks can be especially hazardous and are routinely responsible for dozens of deaths on construction sites every year. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), there were over 800 dump truck-related deaths on construction sites between 2011 and 2020. In addition to those fatalities, dump trucks are also involved in hundreds of nonfatal injuries each year.
What should construction site workers know about dump truck injuries? Our Maryland workers’ compensation lawyers can provide you with more information from NIOSH and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Common Causes of Dump Truck Injuries on Construction Sites
What kinds of accidents and injuries involving dump trucks tend to occur on construction sites? According to NIOSH and the CDC, both dump truck operators and construction workers who are “working nearby” dump trucks are at risk of suffering injuries in many different types of accidents, including but not limited to the following:
- Struck-by accidents where a dump truck collides with a worker on the ground;
- Tip-over injuries affecting dump truck operators and nearby workers when an operator loses control of the dump truck;
- Crush injuries when a worker is involved in a caught-between accident involving dump truck components, or when struck by a dump truck;
- Electrical injuries, especially when dump trucks come into contact with overhead power lines; and
- Falls from the dump truck affecting the dump truck operator.
Liability and Compensation for Dump Truck Injuries in Construction Work
Generally speaking, employers have a duty to ensure that dump trucks are properly maintained for safe use and that construction workers receive proper safety training in order to prevent injuries involving and around dump trucks. However, even when an employer’s negligence or a workers’ negligence causes a dump truck injury, there is not usually an option for filing a lawsuit. Instead, any injured worker will want to file a workers’ compensation claim, which is a no-fault claim.
In a no-fault workers’ compensation system, the injured worker does not have to prove liability in order to obtain compensation. Instead, the injured worker only needs to show that their injuries arose out of and occurred in the course of employment to be compensable.
Contact a Maryland Construction Accident and Injury Lawyer for Assistance
If you were injured in a dump truck accident on a construction site in Maryland, or if a loved one sustained fatal injuries in a construction dump truck accident, it is important to find out more about seeking compensation. As we have discussed above, dump trucks are often involved in serious and deadly accidents, and injured construction workers and their families may be eligible to obtain medical coverage, wage-replacement benefits, and more through the Maryland workers’ compensation system. One of the experienced Maryland construction worker injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Steinhardt, Siskind and Lieberman, LLC can discuss the details of your case with you today, and we can assist you with your workers’ compensation claim. Contact us to find out more about how we can help you and your family.
Source:
cdc.gov/niosh/docs/2023-137/default.html