Tampa Bay Injury Attorney Blog
A construction worker was taken to the hospital Monday afternoon after an incident at Midtown Tampa.
Officials say the worker’s boom lift hit a power line at the construction site at 3725 W Grace Street at 12:05 p.m.
The boom was still in the raised position with the worker in the bucket and fire crews had to wait until the lines were de-energized to ensure their safety before approaching the person.
TECO came to the site and secured power to the power lines and workers on site were able to lower the lift to ground level at 1:05 p.m. Paramedics then assisted the patient off of the lift and into a rescue car where he was transported to a local hospital.
The extent of his injuries are unknown at this time.
When it comes to the construction industry, sometimes production is placed above employee safety. Aerial lift accidents involving bucket trucks, cherry pickers, scissor lifts, man lifts, boom lifts and cranes are one of the leading causes of death and injury on large construction sites. Falls, tip-overs, collapses, as well as electrocutions contribute to hundreds of these aerial lift accident injuries and deaths each year across the U.S.
The number of people who suffer catastrophic injuries and wrongful deaths after falling from scissor lifts, boom lifts, and aerial work platforms is quite high. These accidents usually involve heights in excess of six feet, and often occur in the construction industry where these types of lifts are commonly used.
A major cause of aerial lift accidents is lack of training. Sadly, when an aerial lift accident does occur, it often results in serious or deadly injuries. Without proper training, the dangers of operating an aerial lift only increase. Lack of training combined with a lack of inspection and negligent maintenance on the employer, rental company or manufacturer’s part, the risk of danger only rises.
Aerial and boom lift accidents causing serious injury or death often involve electrocutions, falls, collapses and tip overs, and being caught in between or struck by another object. Boom lifts account for around 70% of aerial lift death cases. Aerial lift accidents from the boom lifts can lead to workers being ejected from the bucket after being struck by another object while not wearing a harness to prevent falling. Other aerial lift accidents can happen when the aerial lift, scissor lift, man lift, cherry picker, or boom lift collapses and trips over. This usually happens as a result of mechanical failure with the lift or overloading the aerial lift.
When the brakes, outriggers, wheel chocks and locks on an aerial lift fail, the result can be a tip-over, or an immediate collapse of the lift which will send the operator falling upwards of 20 feet. Besides electrocutions, falls from tip overs are the number one cause of aerial lift accidents. Undecking is another common cause of aerial lift accidents. This happens when the bolts fastening the turret wear out, are defective, break and fail resulting in a collapse of the entire aerial lift. This often leads to ejections, resulting in severe injuries or death.
It is estimated that 250,000 construction workers use aerial lifts like cherry pickers, boom lifts, and bucket trucks each year, placing them at risk for falls, electrocution and a slew of other possible injuries. In order to prevent accidents while working on aerial lift equipment, it is important that employers stay vigilant in making sure their safety policies and procedures are up to date and strictly followed.
If you or a loved one has suffered a severe and debilitating injury caused in an aerial lift accident, our Tampa Bay Construction Defect Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton are here to help you and your family get the financial compensation you may be entitled to. In many construction injury cases, we have successfully recovered damages for our clients, including lost wages, medical expenses, funeral costs, disfigurement, and even monetary compensation for pain and disability. We are happy to review the facts of your case for free, and advise you of the legal options available to you and your family for pursuing financial compensation.
Our Tampa Bay Construction Defect Injury Attorneys at Whittel & Melton are happy to speak to you about your potential case free of charge. If we can help with your claim, we will do so for no out-of-pocket cost to you. We only get paid if we actually win you money.