Brooklyn Attorney for Construction Accident Brain Injuries

Personal injuries from a construction accident in New York are very common.  There are many different types of personal injuries that could be caused by a construction accident.  According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), each year there are approximately 175,000 injuries caused by accidents in the construction industry – one of the top injury-causing industries in the United States.  The type of injuries and the severity of injuries depends on many factors, including how the accident occurred.  But one of the most devastating types of personal injuries is a brain injury after a construction accident in Brooklyn.  These types of accidents can be caused in a variety of ways, including in falls, hit by falling objects, motor vehicle accidents, and other types of construction site accidents or mishaps.

If you or a loved one were injured in a serious construction accident that resulted in any type of brain injury, call the O’Connor Law Firm.  Our bodily injury law firm is dedicated to recovering the maximum amount of compensation that a victim and his or her family may be entitled to under New York law.  We offer FREE consultations and have no upfront costs or fees to begin working with our compassionate personal injury team.  This is because we pay the upfront costs and disbursements of litigation which are only reimbursed after we recover compensation for you in a settlement, verdict, or another type of recovery.  The same is true of our legal fees, which are also only paid after a recovery is made.  If you have suffered a brain injury after a construction accident in Brooklyn, call us today to learn more about how we can help you and your family.

Common Causes of Brain Injuries After a Construction Accident in Brooklyn 

There is a myriad of ways that a construction accident could cause a serious or catastrophic personal injury.  This is because there are so many different ways that a worker could be seriously injured because of the many different jobs and tasks that a construction worker must complete.  Indeed, workers must do everything from working in a footing ditch to scaling a roof to hang shingles, and everything in between.  Jobs such as welding, using heavy machinery, and sometimes working in inclement – and sometimes dangerous – weather can all be serious contributors to construction accidents.

That said, the most common causes of serious injuries or wrongful death in a construction accident are known as the “fatal four” or “focus four.”  These are the four most common types of accidents at construction sites that cause fatal accidents in the United States.  They are the following:

• Falls from a height
• Struck-by or hit by accidents, including objects that fall, swing, flay, or roll
• Caught in-betweens or crushing accidents, and
• Electrocutions

The fatal four result in approximately 65% of all construction accident fatalities, and roughly the same number of serious injuries.

Some of the most common causes of personal injuries in construction accidents include the following:

• Machinery accidents or injuries
• Slip and falls or trip and falls on the ground
• Explosions
• Third-party negligence
• Motor vehicle accidents or construction truck accidents
• Defective products
• Fires
• Tool mishaps
• Thermal injuries from heat sources
• Chemical exposure or burns
• Ladder or scaffolding collapses
• Crane collapses
• Unstable ground that could cave in and trap a work
• Dropped tools from a height
• Delivery accidents
• Building collapses
• Falls from a height, and
• Other types of construction accidents that could be caused in New York.

What are Brain Injuries?

Most of the common causes of construction accidents – especially the fatal four – can cause catastrophic and personal injuries.  However, brain injuries after a construction accident in Brooklyn are some of the most common types of catastrophic injuries.  Brain injuries, sometimes called traumatic brain injuries or TBIs, are injuries to the way the brain works such as a bump, blow, or jolt to the head, or a penetrating injury to the head.

There are several different types of brain injuries that could be caused in a construction accident, including:

• Concussions – this is one of the most well-known types of TBIs, but it is also potentially one of the most devastating – despite many people thinking it is not because of how professional sports treat concussions.However, when a construction worker suffers a concussion from a fall or from being hit by something on a job site, it can cause extreme disability and increase the risk of debilitating disability or death in a second head injury.  All concussions from a construction accident must be taken seriously.
• Diffuse axonal TBIs – this type of TBI is caused when the brain is shaken or rocked in such a violent and powerful manner that it can cause tears in brain tissue and other structures in the brain. This can disrupt neuropathways and cause permanent and disabling symptoms, including permanent disability.  This type of TBI is often very serious and debilitating.
• Penetrating brain injuries – when a worker falls and hits an object, is struck by an object, or an object falls on the worker, it could pierce the skull and cause serious or catastrophic harm – including going into the brain. This damage could be fatal or result in permanent disability.
• Coup-contrecoup TBIs – when the head is subjected to a violent whiplash-like motion, the brain can slide back and forth in the skull. If that whiplash motion is powerful enough, the brain could actually sustain injury when it collides with the inside of the skull.  This damage could result in brain swelling and an increase in intracranial pressure, damaging the vital structures in the brain and even becoming fatal.

Brain injuries after a construction accident in Brooklyn could be caused by virtually any type of accident – even one where the head does not physically hit anything.  As a result, construction workers suffering from a brain injury may be entitled to compensation under the New York Labor Law for their injuries.  However, because liability under the Labor Law can sometimes be strict liability, meaning fault is absolute against certain types of defendants, most insurance carriers, businesses, and defense lawyers will vehemently fight back and hotly contest construction accident claims.  When this happens to you, you need to call an experienced construction accident lawyer in Brooklyn to protect your rights today.

Did You Suffer a Brain Injury After a Construction Accident in Brooklyn?  Call Us Today

If you or a loved one suffered a serious or catastrophic brain injury after a construction accident in Brooklyn or anywhere else in Staten Island, New York City, The Bronx, Queens, Long Island, and in surrounding areas, call the O’Connor Law Firm by dialing (718) 948-3500 or by sending us an email through our “Contact Us” box available here to schedule your FREE consultation to learn more about your rights under New York law.  Our experienced construction accident lawyer can help you and your family recover the compensation that you deserve for a very serious or catastrophic brain injury.