Working as a bricklayer or mason worker is a hazardous occupation, even in the safest of conditions. Not only do bricklayers face the risk of back strain, musculoskeletal injuries, and pulled muscles as a result of lifting heavy materials — but exposure to dangerous chemicals can also lead to serious occupational illnesses. If you are a bricklayer who was hurt on the job, you may be entitled to receive Workers’ Compensation benefits. However, if your injuries were caused due to the negligence, carelessness, or recklessness of another, you might be able to pursue a personal injury action against a third party.
Types of Bricklayer Accidents and Injuries
Bricklayers play a crucial role on many construction sites and often lay hundreds of bricks in a day. They also perform many other tasks such as mixing cement and mortar, shoring, grouting, texturing stone, and installing dressed stone. While there are many inherent dangers associated with this type of work, bricklayers must be provided with adequate equipment and safety gear to do their jobs.
Some of the most common ways bricklayer accident injuries arise on construction sites may include:
- Falls from heights — A considerable amount of construction and masonry work is done at substantial heights and on masonry scaffolds. Bricklayers must be provided with fall protection such as guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. Failure to do so can lead to falls that cause injuries such as broken bones, fractures, concussions, and paralysis.
- Power tool accidents — Bricklayers use many types of machinery and dangerous tools such as electrical equipment, angle grinders, and rotating saws. If this equipment is defective or not properly maintained, facial injuries, lacerations, bruises, eye injuries, amputation, and fatality can occur.
- Crush injuries— Crush injuries happen when part of a worker’s body is compressed between two heavy objects such as bricks, equipment, or other materials. Crush injuries can include paralysis, nerve damage, head injuries, broken bones, severed limbs, and fatality.
- Electrocution — Classified by OSHA as being among the “fatal four,” electrocution presents a significant risk on construction sites for all workers, including bricklayers. Electric shocks and electrocution can be caused by defective or damaged power lines, live wires that have not been grounded, and faulty equipment.
Additionally, mason workers also face significant risk of respiratory illness and injuries due to inhaling airborne dust and particles such as silica or other cement-based materials.
Compensation for Bricklayer Accident Injuries
Unfortunately, the chances of masonry workers being injured on a construction site are significant if proper safety precautions aren’t taken. While an injured bricklayer may file a claim for Workers’ Compensation if they are hurt on the job, these benefits usually aren’t enough to cover the full extent of medical bills and lost wages.
Although New York’s Workers’ Compensation law bars a worker from suing their employer, in many instances, a third party — such as a subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or property owner — may be to blame for a bricklayer accident. In such cases, a mason worker may be able to pursue a personal injury lawsuit to recover their economic and non-economic damages.
Economic damages for a bricklayer accident can include medical expenses, out-of-pocket costs, and lost wages in connection with the injuries. Non-economic damages are meant to provide monetary compensation for pain and suffering and the loss of enjoyment of life suffered as a result of the accident.
Contact an Experienced New York Personal Injury Attorney
If you are a bricklayer or mason worker who sustained injuries on the job due to another’s negligence, you may be eligible to file a personal injury action to recover your monetary and non-monetary losses. The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. has more than 30 years of experience fighting for the rights of injured construction workers and obtaining favorable results in their cases.
The Dearie Law Firm, P.C. has convenient office locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, and the Bronx, as well as mobile locations serving Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, the Bronx, Staten Island, Westchester, Rockland County, Nassau County, and Suffolk County. Contact us today for a consultation.