Chicago Construction Injury Lawyer

Lifting Injuries

Working in construction is a physically challenging task. While at a building site, a construction worker must often lift, move, or otherwise handle extremely large, unwieldy, and heavy objects. Though some of this heavy lifting is done by machines like cranes and forklifts, many jobs involve at least some lifting by hand. Often, these tasks are at the root of common construction injuries.

The act of lifting heavy objects can cause stress injuries to the back, neck, and shoulders, particularly when the lifter fails to utilize proper precautions and technique. The old adage that lifting should be done with the legs, rather than the back, is lost on many people, even those experienced in the construction industry. To make it worse, the action is repeated dozens of times over a series of days, weeks, or months – a difficult situation which is hardly atypical in the construction business.

When heavy objects are lifted, there is always the risk that they will fall. In the construction industry, where large loads are often lifted to enormous heights above the heads of workers, this risk is especially serious. Even a relatively small object, like a brick, can cause severe injuries when falling from 15 stories up in the air. Nor is lifting at ground level entirely safe – a slip of the hand or a simply misjudgment can cause broken bones, disability, or even death.

As employers, construction companies and contractors have a duty to train their employees to do heavy lifting correctly, to provide them with adequate protective gear to reduce the risk of lifting injuries, and to supply working equipment to take some of the strain off workers’ bodies. Failure to do so may make the company liable for any lifting injuries sustained by its employees.

If you are a construction worker who has sustained lifting injuries in Chicago, you may be entitled to compensation from the party or parties at fault. contact a Chicago construction lifting injury lawyer from Friedman & Bonebrake, P.C. by calling 312-466-8200 today.