Working on a construction job comes with a fair share of hazards and frustration. Whether a person is working on a home project or on a large construction site, the risks of getting injured can be very real. Powerful tools and heights often create dangerous conditions so it is imperative that people are working with safe products free from defects. One of the most common tools that people work with on a jobsite is a ladder. Unfortunately, ladders are also a common cause of serious falls and accidents.
Recently, a man filed a lawsuit after the ladder he was standing on broke and caused him to fall. In the accident, the man seriously injured his back and he has incurred a hefty amount of medical expenses as a result. He has named the supplier, an erection company and a machine shop in the lawsuit, claiming the three parties were responsible for the manufacture, construction, assembly, design and distribution of the defective ladder.
The accident happened while the man was working on a construction site. As he climbed the ladder, a rung gave out beneath him and he fell. According to the lawsuit, the rung was improperly affixed which made it unsafe for use. When he fell from the ladder, he landed on his back and had to get medical treatment, which totaled more than $36,300.
Back injuries, in particular, can plague victims long after an accident has occurred. They can affect a person’s mobility, strength and ability to perform certain day-to-day tasks for many years after the initial trauma has taken place. Many victims of a back injury often have to make significant adjustments in their lives and receive ongoing medical treatments in order to cope with the pain they experience.
Working from heights presents extra risks on a job site. For this reasons, it is imperative that the equipment is safe and properly maintained. When a ladder is defective and fails to perform properly, a person can experience a terrifying fall. Victims of an unsafe ladder have the right to pursue compensation from the parties that are responsible for the manufacture, sale and maintenance of a faulty ladder.
Source: The West Virginia Record, “After fall, Ohio man alleges ladder was defective,” Kyla Asbury, Feb. 27, 2013
