Construction accidents occur for a variety of reasons: through negligence, user error, improper
safety precautions, and equipment failure, to name a few. Such mishaps can take a variety of
forms, from falling to being struck by an object to being electrocuted. Construction injuries can
be severe, expensive, and life-changing. Assessing who is at fault in these situations can be
complicated, so getting a workplace injury attorney in your corner is a wise move if you’ve
sustained trauma at a construction site.
Who Is to Blame for Construction Accidents?
Most construction accidents are preventable. They can be due to lack of proper oversight,
disregard for required safety precautions, equipment failures, and so much more. In the pursuit
of cost-cutting, some contractors and rental companies allow their equipment to get worn and
run down, forgoing proper maintenance. Other contractors may insist workers do their jobs in a
quicker and less safe manner than is prescribed. In legal cases involving construction accidents,
employers, equipment manufacturers, and other contracting companies will often blame you for
negligence, even when their unsafe working conditions are at fault.
The Turner Case
In 2013, Aldace Turner, a construction worker, and his wife, Suzie, came to Morgan & Morgan
after Aldace fell down improperly installed stairs at his job site. The resulting life-altering injuries,
including a herniated disc in his back, left him unable to work and with $50,000 in medical bills.
Because his injuries made him unfit for employment, his wife took on additional hours at work,
including night shifts, to make up for her husband’s lost income. The defendant’s insurance
company offered the family just $5,000 — nowhere near enough to cover the massive expenses
incurred by the construction worker.
Morgan & Morgan fought back, taking the case to trial. We sued Piney Branch Motors, which
was doing business as Allied Trailers, as well as Manhattan Kraft Construction, Old Republic
General Insurance, and Starr Indemnity and Liability. Throughout the course of the case, we
demonstrated that Allied Trailers had improperly installed aluminum stairs connected to one of
its trailers. The stairs shook even when used properly, and the company failed to inspect or
correct the stairs. We also filed a complaint on behalf of Suzie for the devastating impact the
injury had on her relationship with her husband.
Allied Trailers and its co-defendants fought back hard, dragging out the case for five years.
Morgan & Morgan didn’t give up, and a jury found Allied Trailers guilty of neglect, awarding our
clients $3.85 million to cover their expenses and a lifetime of lost earnings. “After watching over
the last several years how the negligence of the defendant completely changed my clients’ lives — and seeing the frustration they felt when the defendant would not accept any responsibility —
