Cincinnati Personal Injury Law Blog

It doesn't matter if you work on a construction site every day or are simply visiting, such as to make a delivery or complete a specific job, there are dangers everywhere. It's the steps you take that can be the difference between maintaining your safety and suffering a serious injury.

Understanding the most common causes of construction site accidents can help you prevent trouble. Here's what you need to watch out for.

• Falls from height: Anyone working at height, such as on a roof or scaffolding, is at risk of falling to the ground below. This can be the result of a misstep, slip and fall, or inclement weather, among other causes.
• Falling object: If an object falls from above, it could strike anyone standing below. And if the object is heavy enough, it could cause serious injury or even death.
• Slip and fall: Construction sites commonly have debris everywhere, such as tools and leftover construction material. All of these things improve the likelihood of a slip and fall, which can result in injuries such as broken bones, concussion and more.
• Vehicle accidents: Depending on the type of construction site and stage of the work, vehicle accidents are a possibility. These are used for everything from transporting workers to dropping off materials. This type of accident can harm the people inside the vehicle, as well as those in close proximity.
• Electrocution: An often overlooked construction site accident, electrocution is all too common when someone doesn't take the appropriate precautions regarding how electricity to the area is arranged.

The leading cause of injuries nationwide is car accidents, so it's no surprise that many of these incidents result in lawsuits. In Ohio, people who are injured in auto collisions might be entitled to compensation for lost wages, pain and suffering, medical expenses or other damages. While the specifics and outcomes of car crash cases may vary widely, most cases share the same basics, running from pre-litigation negotiations to establishing negligence and receiving compensation from at-fault parties or their insurers.

Negotiations may begin at any point during a case, but there are usually opportunities for an attorney to negotiate a settlement early on. The insurance company that has liability for damages will often make an offer to settle. If the offer is appropriate and fair, it may be worth it to settle the personal injury claim at that point. Typically, settling the case means receiving payment in exchange for an agreement not to file a lawsuit. Otherwise, a lawsuit might be necessary.

New technology designed to improve safety may cause more problems for Ohio drivers than it solves. Researchers at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute returned data on two new safety devices and associated car accident risk. Both lane-assistance and adaptive cruise control technologies promoted human error. The AAA Foundation reported a higher risk of distracted driving and car accidents attributable to the safety devices. The finding ran contrary to the goal of automation technology, which is limiting human error.

Both technologies use external sensors to spot risks and provide slight modification to either direction or acceleration. The systems provide initial action, alerting the driver to the need to determine whether further action is required. The study showed that, instead of augmenting an attentive driver's attention, the systems replaced it altogether. Drivers increased the risk of getting into car accidents by trusting the systems and turning their attention to other things.

Getting into a car crash in any circumstances can be quite stressful, but when you don't have health insurance, a car crash that leaves you hurt could feel like the end of the world. It is common for people to panic and worry about how they will cover the cost of the treatment they need for their broken bones, head injuries or other serious medical issues caused by the crash, and recover missed wages.

Depending on the severity of the injuries you suffer, it could cost thousands of dollars to get the care that you need and take weeks or even months for you to return to work. The good news is that if the other driver caused the collision, you likely have the right to seek coverage through their motor vehicle liability insurance policy.