Falls from ladders cause serious injuries and fatalities every year. Sometimes the episode results from the person placing and climbing the ladder not being careful enough.
In other situations, the accident is due to factors such as neglect on the part of co-workers or questionable orders from supervisors. Faulty equipment may be the cause. The injured person benefits from hiring a ladder accident attorney in Norwich, CT to negotiate a fair settlement with the insurer of the at-fault person or organization.
Workers’ Compensation Considerations
Generally, an injured employee cannot file a lawsuit against an employer or seek an independent settlement from the company’s insurer, since work-related accidents are covered by workers’ compensation. A ladder accident attorney in Norwich, CT can represent an independent contractor, however, as these individuals are self-employed. In addition, a lawsuit may be filed against the manufacturer of defective equipment even if the injured person is an employee of a company and receives workers’ comp.
Determining Who Is Responsible
More than one person or entity may be held responsible. For example, a facility manager may be required to routinely inspect all equipment but may not actually do so. A situation involving a person injured while standing on a defective ladder might have been caused both by a defective ladder and a facility manager who did not inspect the ladder as scheduled. In addition, the equipment may have been in excellent condition when purchased, but its safety may have been compromised in some way since then.
Fall-Arrest Gear
Employers and facilities are required to provide fall arrest gear for employees who must work at heights greater than six feet off the ground. Many of them do not mandate that the workers actually wear this gear or they may not have a restraint system in place. They may even encourage workers not to bother with it due to time constraints and inconvenience.
A lawyer such as Stephen M. Reck may need to have an investigator evaluate the circumstances and determine exactly what happened. Especially when the insurer, employer or equipment manufacturer disputes any amount of fault. Visit our website to learn more about this particular attorney.
