Fires and Explosions

Construction Site Fires and Explosions Cause Workplace Injuries and Fatalities Every Year

Construction industry accidents take many forms, and some of the worst come from fires and explosions. Due to the many inflammable chemicals, pressurized containers, and heat-powered tools, such as flame torches, soldering irons, and brazing torches, construction site fires and explosions are an ever-present danger for workers. Burns are severe injuries requiring immediate medical attention and strong legal representation. An experienced construction accident lawyer can pursue your workers’ compensation benefits so you can heal.

Causes of fires on construction sites

The potential scenarios are endless—welder injuries due to arc flashes and blasts, laborers burned in brazing fires, even painters in the wrong place at the wrong time when a pressurized container exploded. Some of the main causes of fires on construction sites include:

• Cooking equipment
• On-site heaters
• Soldering, grinding, welding, and similar types of hot work
• Smoking on site
• Flammable chemicals and materials
• Electrical accidents
• Incomplete fire protection in partially constructed buildings
• Arson

Remember, regardless of the cause, if you were injured in a fire on a construction site, you have the right to workers’ compensation benefits. Depending on the circumstances, you may also have a third-party personal injury claim against another business that caused or contributed to the fire, such as an equipment manufacturer.

The high cost of explosion injuries on construction sites

While explosions are rare events, they are devastating and even fatal when they occur. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, about 100 American workers die in fires and explosions nationwide every year. There are four main ways an explosion can cause injury to a construction worker:

• Primary: the impact of an over-pressurized wave from a high explosive, which can cause lung injuries, middle ear damage, abdominal damage, eye damage, and traumatic brain injury.
• Secondary: the impact of flying debris and shrapnel, which can cause penetrating injuries.
• Tertiary: the worker’s body being thrown by the blast wave, which can cause fractures, loss of limbs, and brain injuries, among others.
• Quaternary: any additional effects of the explosion, such as inhalation of smoke or toxic fumes released by the explosion, flash burns, or traumatic hearing loss due to the extremely loud sound.

Workplace explosions and fire injuries on the job need a forceful workers’ comp attorney

Burn injuries can require extensive medical treatment and cause permanent disfigurement. Explosions can cause catastrophic and disfiguring injuries. These are high-stakes claims, which is why the workers’ comp insurance companies fight so hard to downplay or deny them. They may question the extent of your injuries or dispute your need for medical treatment.

That’s why getting a fire and explosions injury attorney who knows how to fight back after such a serious incident is so important.

If you were injured or lost a loved one in a workplace fire or explosion, call Pasternack Tilker Ziegler Walsh Stanton & Romano today toll-free at (800) 692-3717 or contact us online for a free evaluation. We help injured workers in New York get the compensation and closure they need and deserve.