Staten Island Construction Accident Lawyer for Truck Accidents

There are many reasons why construction is such a dangerous industry.  Although many construction companies and contractors do a good job at keeping workers on a job site safe, that unfortunately does not always happen.  Unfortunately, most construction accidents result in serious or catastrophic personal injuries.  Our experienced construction accident lawyer knows that one of the most common causes is a construction truck accident in Staten Island.  Most people do not realize how dangerous these large and heavy machines are, especially on job sites where there might be less stable soil and other hazards that make operating these trucks more dangerous.

What makes construction vehicle accidents more dangerous is that they can result in multiple different types of hazards that could cause serious personal injuries or wrongful death.  Of these most common causes, there are four specific ones that are known as the “fatal four” or “focus four” by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA).  These four are falls, caught-in between, struck-by, and electrocutions.  Considering these, our experienced construction accident lawyer also knows that a construction truck accident in Staten Island could result in all four. 

If you or a loved one were seriously injured in any type of construction truck accident in Staten Island, please call the O’Connor Law Firm to learn more about how we can help you and your family recover the compensation that you deserve for these types of serious accidents.  We offer FREE consultations and only get paid after you get paid in a settlement, verdict, or another type of recovery.  This means there is no upfront cost or financial risk to begin working with our personal injury law firm.

Risks of a Construction Truck Accident

All large trucks can result in a serious accident.  According to national statistics, roughly 5,000 people are killed each year in large-truck crashes in the United States.  This includes large construction trucks such as excavators, bulldozers, skidders, lulls, dump trucks, cranes, cement trucks, booms, and other types of large construction vehicles or trucks.  There are many reasons why construction trucks are so dangerous, some of the most common causes include the following:

• Construction trucks are big and heavy, which means they generate significant momentum even at low speeds which can cause serious damage
• Construction sites can be uneven or not filled/compacted, causing trucks to become unstable which means they can slide, topple, fall, or otherwise go off-course
• Big trucks have big blind spots, which means that operators must be aware of their surroundings at all time
• Heavy vehicles require a greater distance to stop when they are traveling because of their greater momentum
• Construction trucks often have heavy and odd payloads, including smaller trucks, concrete, and other materials that are hazardous to transport and can be dangerous
• Trucks have many moving parts, including counterbalances like on a crane or dump truck beds which can all prevent moving hazards to individuals near the vehicle, and
• Construction trucks require training, skill, and experience to properly handle, which means unskilled operators and employers who do not properly monitor their workers could be negligent in hiring, supervising, and training their workers.

Examples of Construction Truck Accidents in Staten Island

Large construction trucks present many hazards, but the deadliest kinds are those that also coincide with the “fatal four.”  These fatal four are falls, struck-by, caught-in between, and electrocutions.  Construction trucks can cause all four types of hazards.

Falls Involving Construction Trucks

Far too often does a construction accident in Staten Island involve a fall.  This is by far the most common cause of serious construction accident injuries or wrongful death.  Construction trucks can cause falls in many ways, including the following:

• Knocking over a ladder, scaffolding, or other apparatus a person is standing on or using
• Directly striking a worker and causing him or get to get knocked over and fall
• A contractor, foreman, or boss directing a person to stand up on a truck that is not meant for climbing
• Truck malfunctions causing a lifted worker (such as in a cherry picker) to fall, and many other common causes.

Struck-by Accidents

The most obvious risk of a construction truck is being struck by the vehicle.  This can happen in many different ways, and all of them can be devastating or fatal.  Some of the most common examples include the following:

• Hit by a construction truck that is being driven (i.e., a motor vehicle accident)
• Hit by a part of the construction truck such as boom, moving bed, counterbalance, or another object
• A truck that rolls over or falls, skids, slips, or otherwise topples
• Hit by a truck that is moving without watching
• Cargo that is dropped from or off a truck that was not properly secured
• Debris falling from a truck, and
• Many other common causes.

Caught-in Between Accidents 

Individuals could be injured in a construction truck accident in Staten Island after being crushed by a truck.  This includes being involved in a trucking accident and injured or crushed by the force and momentum of a truck.  But it also includes when cargo falls off a truck or rolls off a vehicle.  Victims could also be crushed when a truck’s main task (i.e., unloading dirt from a bed or using a crane) causes a crushing accident.

Electrocutions

Although many people may not consider electrocutions as a common cause of construction accidents, that is just part of the dangerous that these large trucks can create.  Electrocutions are a huge hazard with oversized vehicles which can easily hit overhead powerlines.  If that was not dangerous enough, many of these vehicles are capable of moving dirt or digging into power lines that also present massive electrocution hazards.  This is why a construction truck accident in Staten Island could result in serious or fatal injuries to workers.

Injured in a Construction Accident?  Call Our Lawyer for Help 

If you or a loved one were seriously injured in a construction truck accident in New York, particularly right here in Staten Island, Brooklyn, New York City, The Bronx, Queens, Long Island, and in surrounding areas, please call our experienced construction accident lawyer in Staten Island for help to schedule a FREE consultation to learn more about your rights.  We can help victims and their families recover the compensation that they deserve for their type of construction accident injuries – especially if it was caused by a construction truck accident.

To learn more about how we can help you and your family recover compensation after an accident, call the O’Connor Law Firm by dialing (718) 948-3500 or by sending us an email through our “Contact Us” box available here.  We are here to help you and your family move forward after a fatal or catastrophic type of construction accident in New York.