Will the Daytona Area Construction Boom Lead to More Accidents?
You may have noticed new homes and businesses being built in Daytona Beach and Palm Coast, FL recently. This is a good sign in a number of ways as it means more housing and jobs. Yet these improvements also come with some dangers, particularly for people in the construction industry and anyone near these work sites.
The lawyers of Chanfrau & Chanfrau would like to consider how an increase in construction could lead to more accidents. We’ll then note how a construction accident attorney can help you if you’ve been injured on the job or harmed while near a construction site.
More Construction in the Area
A recent article from the Daytona Beach News-Journal discussed an increase in home and commercial construction across Volusia and Flager counties. In Volusia County, new home building permits jumped 3.5 percent in 2019; in Flager County, there was a 17 percent increase in new home construction during the third quarter of 2019 after some periods of slight decline.
Commercial construction has boomed as well. The News-Journal noted that the value of new Volusia County projects permitted in the first nine months of 2019 is up 132 percent compared to the same period of time in 2018.
Construction Accident Statistics
According to finings from the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA), 1,008 construction workers were killed in 2018. That’s 21.1 percent of all worker deaths in the private industry. There were countless more injuries to construction workers, as well as non-workers who happened to be near construction sites at the time of dangerous accidents.
With numbers like these, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that with increased construction, there’s an increased risk of accidents, injuries, and fatalities.
Dangers to Construction Workers
Construction workers face a number of dangers while they’re at work. Heavy equipment, power tools, and long hours could lead to severe and eve fatal injuries. Many of these dangers involve four kinds of incidents that OSHA has called “the Fatal Four.” The Fatal Four are as follows:
- Falls
- Being struck by an object
- Electrocutions
- Being crushed or caught between objects
In 2018, 591 construction worker fatalities were caused by the Fatal Four.
Dangers to Pedestrians and Motorists
If you’re near a construction site on foot or in a vehicle, there are numerous hazards. Collisions could occur involving vehicles hauling building equipment and materials. Scaffolding could collapse around buildings, or objects may fall from high structures. There’s also the risk of cranes collapsing, which happened in the fall last year during the construction of a Hard Rock Hotel in New Orleans.
How Our Attorneys Can Help
As construction continues, we’ll monitor hazards and risks. If you or a loved one has been seriously injured in a construction accident, our law firm can help.
Our lawyers can assist construction workers with workers’ compensation claims and lawsuits against negligent parties. We can also help non-workers injured near construction sites by holding companies accountable for endangering bystanders.
Speak with Our Construction Accident Attorneys
If you or someone you care about has been injured in a construction accident, be sure to contact our team of construction accident lawyers. You can reach Chanfrau & Chanfrau by phone in Daytona Beach by calling (866) 610-0653 and in Palm Coast by calling (386) 439-7760.