According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, union members accounted for 13.5 percent of wage and salary workers in Pennsylvania in 2012. This was higher than the U.S. average of 11.3 percent.
Positions in the construction industry are among the jobs that carry an inherent risk of worksite injury.
In September 2013, a former construction worker from New Castle, PA who was injured in a construction accident in 2002 received a lawsuit settlement in the amount of $1.3 million. He fell 40 feet to the ground when his safety equipment failed. He was overseeing the construction of a cellular phone tower in Saltsburg in Indiana County. The manufacturer of the safety device became the sole defendant after other companies in the lawsuit were eliminated. The construction worker suffered several injuries from the fall, including “fractures of the left elbow and rib, a compound fracture of the left ankle and injuries to his left and right feet and legs as well as to his muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones, nerves and other tissue of his legs, arms and torso” and has at least nine surgeries, according to the New Castle News.
In October 2013, a construction worker was killed and two others were injured at a construction accident between transit stops in Washington, D.C. A large section of rail moved and struck a contractor and two Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority employees.
“If you are injured on the job, make sure to report it immediately to your foreman and to make sure your co-workers are aware of what happened,” said Bruce Ginsburg Esq. of Ginsburg & Associates. “Make sure to go to the ER and repeat that you were injured on the job.” Regaining your health is of primary importance and you should work with the emergency room professionals for an accurate diagnosis. When at the ER, however, Ginsburg noted that extraneous facts around what made you fall are unnecessary and are often misinterpreted by the ER personnel.
Ginsburg & Associates has represented workers in numerous claims. “These cases have varied considerably,” Ginsburg said, whom has also represented an electrician who was severely burned when the electrical box he was inspecting exploded; Ginsberg has also represented flagmen and construction workers performing roadway construction and government employees seriously injured while driving trucks and cars.
“Currently, our group is working on worksite injuries in which many different subcontractors are involved in a larger project,” Ginsburg said. “We find a lot of cases where the employee is hurt while doing a job and in the investigation learn that another company was the cause of the danger.”
In addition to contacting Ginsburg & Associates, the Injured Workers Advocacy Program (IWAP) can provide assistance to workers in the southeastern Pennsylvania and greater Philadelphia region who are injured while working on the job and in need of financial assistance. IWAP is a nonprofit program that can help injured workers after an accident.
Phillylabor.com, which is a site dedicated to assisting unions and union members in the Philadelphia area, maintains a list of recommended medical professionals who support unions; the list can be viewed here.
Located in Philadelphia, PA, Ginsburg & Associates has expertise with personal injury cases. Among our firm’s services is representing injured workers, including union members. We can provide guidance on worksite injuries and workers compensation. Worksite injuries need to be addressed immediately, both for the injured party’s recovery and in order to prevent future accidents from happening. If you or someone you know has been injured, you can contact our office at (215) 564-4400 for a free consultation.
