Construction Site Burn Injuries
Construction site burn injuries often occur in dangerous working environments that could have been remedied or avoided by providing appropriate safety gear, taking basic precautions, and generally maintaining a job site. Unfortunately, however, those in charge of overseeing, training, and protecting construction workers do not always take the steps necessary to adequately safeguard against burn injuries, and a life is forever impaired by pain and disfigurement as a result. Our Atlanta construction site and workers’ compensation injury attorneys are here to help victims of burns obtain fair compensation from all responsible parties after a tragic event.
Common Causes of Burn Injuries on Construction Sites
Construction workers frequently face exposure to hazards that can cause thermal burns, steam burns, electrical burns, and chemical burns. Sudden explosions and fires often result in severe burn injuries. Some of the most common events leading to burn injuries on construction sites include:
- Defective fuel lines or fuel tanks
- Explosions and fires
- Live electrical wires
- Electrical malfunctions
- Unsafe welding practices
- Toxic chemical exposure
- Insufficient safety precautions taken with dangerous chemicals
- Vehicle and equipment accidents
- Lack of adequate first aid equipment
Thermal burns occur with the greatest frequency on construction sites and include injuries from steam, scalding water, fire, flammable materials, overheated pipes, and other powerful equipment and machinery. Construction workers exposed to fire may also suffer smoke inhalation injuries, which can be more dangerous than the burn itself.
Among the most serious construction site burn injuries are those suffered in electrical accidents. Electrical burns may involve tissue damage due to the heat generated by the flow of electric current through the body, high temperatures near the body produced by an electric arc or explosion, and thermal contact burns suffered when skin comes in contact with overheated electrical equipment or when clothing is ignited by live electric wires.
Construction workers suffer chemical burns less frequently than thermal burns and electrical burns, but chemical burns can be very serious, and a worker’s reaction to a toxic substance is not always immediately apparent—which means treatment may be detrimentally delayed. Dangerous chemicals often found at construction sites include cleaning supplies, wet cement, paint, paint thinner, solvents, and glues, all of which can be very harmful to the skin.
Talk to an Experienced Construction Site Burn Injury Attorney in Atlanta
If you or a loved one has sustained a construction site burn injury and/or resulting scar, please contact the legal team at Katz Personal Injury Lawyers in Atlanta. We can help you receive the compensation you need to pay for much needed medical treatment, and obtain the recovery you deserve for your pain, suffering, and other damages. Your first consultation with us is free, and you’ll owe no attorneys’ fees until we collect money on your behalf. Please call our office today at 404-460-0101 or 888-426-2100 as time limits do apply to filing a legal claim.