Worksites are filled with heavy equipment needed to complete the task at hand. However, this heavy equipment can also lead to severe injuries and death should something go wrong. At the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, our dedicated team is standing by to help if you need a Los Angeles heavy equipment accident attorney. We know that these injuries can be devastating, and it can be complicated to secure compensation through workers’ compensation or a third-party injury lawsuit. Let us get to work on your case today so we can ensure that you are treated fairly throughout the entire process.
Common types of heavy equipment worksite accidents in Los Angeles
In Los Angeles, there are plenty of construction sites around. At just about every construction site, there will be some sort of heavy equipment in use. This can include front-end loaders, excavators, cranes, backhoes, forklifts, dump trucks, graders, compactors, mixers, and even just traditional vehicles used to transport workers.
We do need to point out that all heavy equipment accidents are avoidable if employees are properly trained and if worksites follow all regulations set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the California Regulatory Agency CalOSHA.
However, all of this heavy equipment can lead to severe worker injuries if something goes wrong. Some of the most common ways that heavy equipment accidents cause injuries include the following:
- Struck by equipment
- Caught in between machinery or vehicles backing up
- Struck by discharged or flying cargo
- Pinning by heavy machinery
- Pinned under collapsed equipment
- Crushed or compressed inside running machinery
- Falling off of heavy machinery
Recovering compensation after a workplace heavy equipment accident in Los Angeles
In most heavy equipment injury situations, injured employees will turn to the workers’ compensation insurance system to recover the money they need for their medical bills and lost wages. Workers’ comp in California is considered a no-fault system, which means that injury victims will be able to recover compensation regardless of who caused the injury. However, workers will usually be prohibited from filing personal injury lawsuits against their employer to recover additional compensation for pain and suffering losses.
There are some circumstances where it may be necessary to file a third-party injury lawsuit. If a heavy equipment injury occurred because of another party at the construction site, including a third-party contractor, then the injured worker may be able to file a lawsuit against the at-fault individual or company. Additionally, if the injury was caused by defective machinery, then it may be possible to hold the company or manufacturer of the equipment responsible through a third-party product liability lawsuit.
Call a Los Angeles heavy equipment accident attorney today.
If you or somebody you care about has sustained a heavy equipment accident injury at work in or around the Los Angeles area, reach out to the team at the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg for help as soon as possible. We have extensive experience handling complex injury claims, and we know what it takes to stand up to aggressive insurance carriers and employers. Our goal is to help injury victims recover the compensation they need for their medical bills, lost income, and disability benefits. When you need a Los Angeles heavy equipment accident attorney, you can contact us for a free consultation of your case by clicking here or calling 310-997-0904.
