Construction Workers Injured at Job Site in Linden

Several construction workers were injured earlier this week at a job site in Linden when a building under construction partially collapsed. In total, six beams that were to support the deck or ceiling of a warehouse fell. One of the workers survived the incident with a head injury, but he is currently in stable condition.

According to officers that responded to the incident, a beam may have fallen on the workers or come down after they felt it shaking and jumped off. Another source said the workers were standing around their vehicles preparing for the day when high-speed winds knocked down a beam and several struts. 

Sources didn’t say whether an investigation would be conducted into the safety of the job site. Oftentimes an accident like this will prompt an investigation of some sort, and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration sometimes inspects and issues citations for any safety violations.  

Employers owe it to their employers to maintain a safe work environment, and failure to do so can lead to serious accidents, particularly where heavy equipment and machinery is involved. Workers injured on a job site need to know their rights in terms of workers’ compensation, but also in terms of personal injury litigation.

Generally, workers who enjoy workers’ compensation give up the right to pursue personal injury claims against an employer when they are injured. There are some types of situations, though, when an injured employee may pursue personal injury litigation. Employees who have been injured do well to consult with an attorney experienced in both workers’ compensation and personal injury to determine their options for recovery.

Source: Nj.com, “3 construction workers injured at former GM plant in Linden,” Tom Haydon, March 26, 2014.