In the last few years, there has been a significant rise in the amount of construction activity. This has had the benefit of helping the economy and providing jobs for many Connecticut residents, but it has also resulted in an increase in the number of accidents on construction sites. The number of people employed as construction workers is at its highest level since 2008, and wages are up for this line of work as construction firms look for new employees.
The issue is that fatalities of people working in the construction industry are also at their highest since 2008. According to the bureau of labor statistics, 937 construction workers died on the job in 2015. This represents more than a fifth of all work-related deaths for that year.
One of the reasons for the increase in deaths is believed to be the influx of new workers who are not as able as more experienced workers at staying safe and avoiding dangerous situations. It is believed that people may not ask questions during standard safety programs to avoid looking dumb, so employers have now started to pair up veteran workers with new hires.
Even companies that have robust safety programs in place will still have employees who are injured while doing their job. Most companies are required to have workers’ compensation coverage for the benefit of their employees who are injured in a workplace accident or who contract an occupational disease. However, some employers will attempt to deny a bona fide claim, which is why having the assistance of an attorney could be advisable.
