(235+)Our Philadelphia work injury lawyers can help people get workers’ compensation for ladder accidents on the job. If you fell off a ladder at work, Gibbons & Crichton, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers can fight for your compensation. Call or message us now!
Workers’ Comp for Ladder Accidents
Did you fall off a ladder at work? You may qualify to receive workers’ compensation. You may also qualify for a third-party claim for compensation.
To get workers’ compensation for ladder accidents, you should:
- Seek emergency medical attention, if necessary: Many ladder accidents are life-threatening. Get the medical care that you need without delay. Follow any directives given by 911 operators until first responders arrive.
- Notify your employer of your injuries: Even if they are aware of the fall or an incident, be sure to tell them that you have suffered injuries.
- Follow state law regarding employer choice of care provider: (These laws are different in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.)
- Understand your benefits: Make sure that you are receiving the wage benefits, specific loss compensation, and medical care that you deserve. Death benefits are payable in the event of a fatality.
- Follow medical care instructions: Ensure that your injuries and disabilities are thoroughly investigated and documented. Remember that injuries from ladder accidents can be especially serious.
- Take appropriate measures if you don’t receive the benefits you deserve: You may be represented by a workers’ compensation ladder accident lawyer.
- Evaluate the possibility of a third-party claim: You may have a third-party claim if there is a non-employer at fault for the accident.
Getting workers’ compensation for a ladder accident requires understanding what benefits you deserve, what you need to do, and how to respond if the insurer doesn’t pay you fairly. Our experienced lawyers can represent you, handling your case and addressing any unique issues in your case. We can investigate the causes of the ladder accident and pursue the benefits you deserve.
Top occupations for ladder accidents
Ladder accidents happen in many industries and professions. The top occupations for ladder accidents are:
- Installation, maintenance and repair
- Construction, extraction
- Service
- Transportation, material moving
- Production
- Management, business and financial sectors
- Farming, fishing, forestry
- Office workers, administrative support
- Healthcare
- Computer engineering and technology
Statistics and Injuries from Ladder Falls
- There were 161 workplace fatalities from ladder accidents in 2020.
- There were 171 workplace fatalities from ladder accidents in 2019.
- Most workplace fatalities are from moveable ladders, but fatalities involve both moveable and stationary ladders.
- In 2020, 22,710 workplace injuries resulted from ladder use.
- 500,000 people are hurt each year in the United States because of ladder use, including work and non-work settings.
- Approximately 300 fatalities occur each year in the United States because of falls from ladders. Slightly more than half of these fatalities occur on the job.
- Ladder falls cost the U.S. economy $24 billion each year, including medical bills, lost work productivity and other losses.
Sources: U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Fatal injuries from ladders down in 2020; CDC, It’s National Ladder Safety Month.
Injuries Due to Ladder-Related Accidents
Common injuries due to ladder accidents include:
- Traumatic brain injury, concussion
- Skull fracture
- Subarachnoid hemorrhage
- Broken arm, wrist, hand
- Dislocations
- Broken pelvis, hip fracture, femur, other lower extremity broken bones
- Spinal cord injury, paralysis, neck injury
- Laceration, skin damage, scars
- Internal organ damage, crushing and laceration
- Bruising, soft tissue damage, torn ligaments and tendons, sprains
Trauma from a ladder fall can produce serious injury. As the body strikes the ground, the body is subjected to blunt force trauma. Injuries are often serious, and life-threatening.
Injury Prevention
Employers, supervisors and workers should take measures to prevent ladder falls and injuries.
Prevention measures should include following regulations relating to ladder use and evaluating the environment for appropriate safety measures.
Ladder injury prevention should include:
- Never use a ladder on an uneven surface
- Inspect the ladder before use
- Use a moveable ladder only where it is away from traffic and objects that may strike it
- Take steps to prevent accidental movement
- Employ appropriate fall prevention measures
- Use the appropriate ladder for the job
- Keep the ladder free of oil, grease, snow and liquids that may cause a slip
- Wear proper footwear
- Hang onto the ladder with at least one hand while ascending and descending
- Don’t carry things that can cause you to lose your balance
- Use a ladder only for its intended purpose; don’t tie ladders together to make them longer
- Wear clothing that will not catch or cause a slip
This list is not exhaustive. These are just some measures that may help prevent ladder accidents and injuries. There may be additional measures that are unique to the type of ladder, including stepladders, fixed ladders and portable ladders.
See OSHA, Stairways and Ladders; OSHA, Safety and Health Regulations for Construction, Stairways and Ladders.
How to Get Compensation for a Ladder Accident on the Job
To get compensation for a ladder accident on the job, report the accident to your employer immediately. Don’t assume that they know just because a coworker sees the accident. Get medical attention right away to minimize the possibility of your employer contesting that your injuries are work-related.
Got hurt? Get Gibbons!
We are lawyers for workers’ compensation for ladder accidents on the job. Getting the benefits that you deserve after a ladder fall should be easy. Unfortunately, employers don’t always make it easy, and you may not know what to do. Our lawyers can take care of everything.
There are time limits. Contact us right away to avoid delays. We are taking new cases now.
Your Ladder Accident Workers’ Compensation – Get Legal Help
You can find out for free if your injuries from a ladder fall on the job may deserve workers’ compensation. The benefits that you receive are so important. Get legal help from the team at Gibbons & Crichton, Personal Injury & Accident Lawyers.
Our lawyers help clients with workers’ compensation for ladder accidents and injuries. We can assist you with any issue you may face in the claims process. For a free consultation, and to start your case today, call 215-274-0173 or message us now.
