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New Jersey construction workers and fatal brain injuries

On Behalf of | Apr 12, 2016 | Workers' Compensation

Researchers from the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, which is a part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, have found that construction workers are at the greatest risk for traumatic brain injuries compared to workers from all other industries. Data collected between 2003 to 2010 showed that over 2,200 construction workers around the country died due to brain injuries during this period.

The majority of brain injuries were suffered as a result of falling from ladders, roofs or scaffolding. Individuals were more likely to incur a fatal TBI if they worked for a company with fewer than 20 employees compared to those who worked for one with more than 100 employees. Employees who were 65 or older were almost four times more prone to a fatal brain injury than were workers between 25 and 34 years of age.

According to researchers, although the rate of workers suffering fatal brain injuries is decreasing, there is still a lot of room for improvement. Increased safety standards, training and awareness may be able to further lower the frequency of injuries.

People who are injured on the job often face significant medical expenses and are forced to miss work for an extended period of time. Workers’ compensation laws are in place to help provide for a measure of relief following a workplace accident. Although an injured victim cannot file a lawsuit against the employer once benefits are accepted, in some cases an attorney might recommend also seeking damages from a non-employer third party, such as the manufacturer of a defective ladder that led to a fall that caused the brain injury.