8 North Carolina workers injured after scaffolding collapses

Construction sites are notoriously dangerous for workers. Every year we hear about workers being injured or even killed when machinery malfunctions or debris comes crashing down. Despite the inherent dangers of working in construction, workers still have the right to expect that their employers and other third parties working on a site will do whatever they can to ensure the safest work environment possible. Unfortunately, not everyone takes this expectation seriously.

Charlotte residents may have read about a serious construction accident that happened last month in the town of Marion. Several workers were standing on scaffolding outside of a high school when the structure collapsed. The scaffolding collapse left at least eight workers injured. Some were injured so badly that they needed to be airlifted to nearby hospitals for quick treatment.

The incident is being investigated by the North Carolina Labor Department’s Occupational Safety and Health Division. The injured workers and their families may want to pay close attention to what the investigation reveals. If an employer failed to properly maintain the scaffolding or neglected to train workers on how to set it up correctly, the employer could be held accountable through workers’ compensation.

When a worker is injured on the job, workers’ compensation is often an option for covering medical expenses and time needed off work. Whether a person was injured because of their own employer’s negligence or a third party’s negligence, workers’ compensation may be available. No one should have to suffer through an injury on their own when it was caused by someone else’s negligence. Contact a Charlotte work injury attorney for help today.

Source: The Virginian-Pilot, “8 workers injured when scaffolding collapses in N.C.,” Aug. 13, 2013