A 34-year-old Maryland construction worker died in a construction accident a few weeks ago. An employee of W.F. Wilson & Sons Inc., the man was working at a residential construction site when an excavator hit him in the head. These large machines range in size from several tons to several hundred tons of metal and moving parts and can be extremely dangerous when used alongside unprotected workers. If you or a family member has suffered an injury because of a construction accident, a Maryland personal injury lawyer can help you hold the responsible parties accountable.
Safety is paramount anytime construction workers use an excavator. Before use, trained workers should inspect the excavator’s body and tread components for wear and damage. The machine should have proper hydraulic fluid levels, and all safety lights should be functioning correctly. Workers should also check the components that attach the bucket of the excavator (often called the boom and the stick) to the excavator’s body. As operators of the excavator enter and exit the machine, they should do so safely, always using two hands while they step in and out of the excavator.
While the machine is in use, the excavator’s operator and nearby workers should continue to observe safe working conditions. Workers should always perform work only while facing the excavator. They should never assume that the operator could see them. Workers should never be working in the ditch or hole from which the excavator is removing material. This is a common circumstance in which people are injured or killed.
If unsafe conditions at a construction site have led to injury for you or a loved one, contact Justin M. Beall, a Maryland personal injury attorney, at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P to learn about how you can obtain compensation.