Skin Injuries Due to Construction Accidents

Construction workers are often at risk of meeting an accident while on the job because the nature of their work involves heavy equipment, tools, and machines that may be unsafe if used improperly or if defective. Sometimes, even the construction site itself is not safe either.

A worker who has been injured in an accident on the job may have to get help from a Los Angeles construction accident lawyer, depending on the circumstances of the accident.

Employers or site owners are expected to comply with laws under the Occupational Safety and Health Act to ensure the well-being of the people in and out of the construction site. Failure to adhere may entitle the injured worker to file a claim for compensation.

The skin is the biggest part of the body most exposed to injuries during an accident. Therefore in most injuries, the skin will always be the first one to be affected. Some of the common injuries to the skin that are likely to be acquired in a construction accident include the following.

• Wounds/ Gashes: A wound happens when skin is torn, cut or punctured, but it can also exist due to blunt force trauma resulting to a close wound or contusion. Gashes, meanwhile, are deep wounds. If gashes or wounds are left untreated or open, it can get severe and lead to infection or other complications. Wounds should be treated immediately, kept covered, and cleaned. Medical attention should also be sought in case of gashes.

• Burns: A burn is damage to the tissues due to heat, chemicals, electricity, friction or radiation. It affects the epidermis and dermis and rarely affects the muscles, bones, and blood vessels inside. Burns are characterized by redness and blisters on a patch of skin depending on the degree (first to third degree burns are the common ones, though in really severe cases it may even reach to fourth to sixth), and understandably, can be really painful. Steam, boiling water or other liquid, dangerous chemicals, fires, and even machines are just some of the dangerous elements in construction that can result to burns.

Workers’ compensation laws also give workers the right to demand damages for their injuries due to construction accidents. However, this right also means that the employees are relinquishing their right to sue their employer for their violation of safety regulations. Contact a Los Angeles Personal Injury Attorney from Mesriani Law Group at (310) 826-6300 to know more about the laws on workers’ compensation and construction accidents.