Man Killed at Fairfax County Construction Site
A 51-year-old construction worker died in a fatal accident at the construction site in Fairfax County last month. On January 30, police were called to a construction site at the 5700 block of General Washington Drive around 2:00 p.m. for an equipment-related accident. The victim, David Raikes, was unresponsive in an elevated hydraulic lift. Police investigators believe that Raikes was pinned between the hydraulic lift and a metal beam in a building currently under construction. He was pronounced dead at the scene with major injuries to his upper body. No other injuries were reported.
Construction Site Accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 5,147 workers were killed on the job in 2017, which comes to more than fourteen workplace deaths per day. 4,674 fatal accidents were in the private sector, and more than twenty percent of those fatalities took place at a construction site. The leading causes of construction site accidents and deaths were falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and being caught in or between objects. Being caught in or between objects includes when workers were caught in or compressed by objects or equipment, and struck, caught, or crushed in collapsing structures, equipment, or materials. These four main causes of construction site accident were responsible for almost sixty percent of all construction worker deaths in 2017.
These four main causes of construction site accidents can cause permanent, debilitating injuries for the victims who survive. These injuries can take years to fully recover from, and in some situations the injured victims require a lifetime of care. Some of the most common injuries seen in construction site accidents includes head and neck injuries, traumatic brain injury, facial disfigurement, slipped or bulging discs, broken bones, crushed or amputated limbs, internal organ damage, chest and abdomen injuries, nerve damage, burns (chemical and electrical), lacerations, spinal cord damage, paralysis, and death. You need an experienced personal injury attorney handling your case if you or a loved one is hurt in a construction site accident.
Compensation for Personal Injury Accidents
Compensation for construction site accidents in Virginia includes payment for economic and noneconomic damages. Economic damages includes payment for property damage, lost wages, loss of future income and benefits, and current and future medical expenses. Noneconomic damages includes compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, emotional distress, disfigurement, and disability. However, Virginia operates under a contributory fault rule for personal injury accidents. This means that if the other party can prove that you were even one percent at fault for the accident the court can bar recovery for your injuries. As such, you need an experienced personal injury lawyer handling your case with the court and insurers assigned to your claims.
Call or Contact Us Today
If you have been injured in the Fairfax area and need an experienced personal injury lawyer to help you with your case, call or contact Whitestone Young today to schedule a free consultation of your case.
