Anybody working in construction knows that there are certain risks that come with the job. Working with dangerous tools, loose nails, and even falling objects are all well-known risks of being on a construction site. But what about falling roofs?
Last weekend, tragedy struck New Orleans as the Hard Rock Hotel, which was under construction, suddenly collapsed, leaving at least two people dead and many others injured.
Witnesses to the collapse said that the top floors began to “pancake” on top of one another leading to the massive collapse. Federal investigators have stated that they will conduct a thorough investigation to figure out what happened. While an official cause of the collapse has not been determined, video taken by a construction worker from within the building just two days before the collapse shows support beams that are crooked, and other structural defects.
The collapse of the Hard Rock Hotel is not an isolated incident. The United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that in 2017, roughly 1 in 5 deaths of workers last year were in the construction industry. Just this past summer in Houston, Texas, the roof of a Holiday Inn that was under construction collapsed, causing injuries to multiple construction workers.
Even if construction incidents don’t cause death, they can cause serious, life altering injuries. Unfortunately, in the event of a tragedy like the ones in New Orleans and Houston, construction companies are quick to place blame on everybody but themselves, and they are quick to hire a team of lawyers to back them up.
In order to be fully compensated for your injuries, you need a lawyer that is experienced in handling construction injury claims.
The lawyers at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have decades of experience fighting for the rights of injured workers and helping them recover everything they deserve. If you or someone you know has been injured as the result of a construction injury, contact an attorney at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.