On Thursday morning in Buckingham Township, PA just before 9, a building collapsed and trapped a worker in the Heritage Center development by York Road. The mixed-use development will include office buildings and residential town homes. The Buckingham Township building collapse occurred in the office building part of the site.
The worker was reportedly trapped under the building’s rubble for around an hour before rescue crews were able to extract him. He was airlifted to the hospital in unstable condition according to authorities.
There was no information available yet on the cause of the dangerous collapse. The investigation was going to be conducted by Buckingham Township’s code enforcement personnel and the Fire Marshal. (Kara Seymour, Newtown, PA Patch, 1/9/14) The thoughts and prayers of our building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are with the injured worker and his family at this time.
This tragic accident is only one of several incidents we have written about over the past year where a building under construction suddenly collapsed, injuring and killing workers at the site. We emphasize that these accidents are entirely preventable with safe construction practices and careful safety procedures.
U.S. OSHA has promulgated an extensive body of rules designed to guide safe construction practices, procedures and worker training. Various bodies of rules focus on high-rise construction, steel construction, proper safety equipment, fall prevention, and other specific concerns regarding worker safety. Individual states and municipalities often have additional rules addressing the special considerations of their local environment and community.
But builders are under pressure to work quickly, and workers might be poorly trained before being sent onto the work site. Sometimes safety equipment and rules are lacking. And very often buildings go up without the proper temporary bracing to support the structure as construction goes forward.
Dangerous collapses of buildings still under construction are happening with alarming frequency, which indicates needs for:
Contact us to Report a Serious Building Collapse Injury and get the Help you Need
The building collapse injury attorneys at Denena Points, PC are very concerned with worker safety in the construction industry. U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data marks the construction industry as one of the most dangerous in the United States. Almost 1 in 5 of all fatal on-the-job injuries occurs in construction. Our goals are to ensure that all serious construction industries get reported to the proper agencies and that the injured workers and their families get the legal help they need to recover financially after a debilitating injury or on-the-job death.
Getting the help you need with medical bills and lost wages after an accident can be complicated and challenging. Among other things, you’ll need to know whether workers’ comp covers your claim, or whether you’ll be able to sue the employer directly for the harm you’ve suffered. You’ll also need to know the hard deadline governing the filing of your claim.
Call us at 713-807-9500 for a free initial legal consultation, without obligation, to discuss your case and evaluate your eligibility for the full financial recovery you deserve. Or just fill out our online contact form to schedule your free consultation. Let us help.