{"id":4721,"date":"2019-05-08T16:50:23","date_gmt":"2019-05-08T20:50:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/?p=4721"},"modified":"2019-05-08T16:50:23","modified_gmt":"2019-05-08T20:50:23","slug":"scaffolding-injuries-and-workers-compensation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/joemillerinjurylaw.com\/scaffolding-injuries-and-workers-compensation\/","title":{"rendered":"Scaffolding Injuries and Workers\u2019 Compensation"},"content":{"rendered":"

Families of anyone killed due to a workplace scaffolding accident are entitled to death benefits. Survivors of scaffolding falls are entitled to full medical care and wage loss benefits, otherwise known as temporary total disability checks. <\/span><\/p>\n

Scaffolding is a necessary requirement at many types of construction sites. Scaffolding is generally temporary. Stable scaffolding helps workers rise above the ground to do their job. Unstable scaffolding can easily cause death. Falls from scaffolding can also cause many types of injuries that leave the worker permanently disabled – such as spinal cord injuries which leave a worker partially or completely paralyzed. In the best of cases, workers with spinal cord injuries often live with chronic pain.<\/span><\/p>\n

If a worker falls on his\/her head, the worker can suffer a traumatic brain injury which affects the workers physical, emotional, and cognitive abilities. Workers with a severe brain injury often never return to work. Even workers with mild traumatic brain injury need to treat with neurosurgeons, neurologists, their family doctors, speech pathologists, physical therapists, psychologists and many other types of doctors.<\/span><\/p>\n

Falls from a scaffold can cause broken arms which usually have to be set and placed in a cast. It takes months before broken bones heal. Other types of injuries include internal organ damage, muscle and ligament damages, severe cuts and lacerations.<\/span><\/p>\n

OSHA scaffolding statistics<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

According to <\/span>the Occupational Safety Health Administration<\/span><\/a> (OSHA) nearly 2\/3rds of workers who work in the construction industry work on scaffolding. That percentage translates to about 2.3 million workers. According to the Bureau of Labor, nearly 60 people tragically die from scaffolding falls each year. Nearly 4,500 are injured due to scaffolding each year. One Bureau of Statistics study shows that 72% of scaffolding accidents are due either the \u201cplanking or support giving way, or to the employee slipping or being struck by a falling object.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Types of scaffolding<\/i><\/b><\/h3>\n

The two basic types of scaffolds, <\/span>according to OSHA<\/span><\/a>, are:<\/span><\/p>\n