Florida Accident Attorney Blog

A worker badly burned in a Fort Myers, Florida construction accident last month remains hospitalized in critical condition, as a lawsuit in a Lee County court moves forward.

The accident occurred Nov. 11, 2010 when a gas line at a road-widening site was hit by a construction vehicle, causing an explosion. The construction worker driving the heavy machinery was badly burned. An estimated 1,200 commercial customers and 6,000 residents lost natural gas service in Lee County and Collier County, Fla., as a result of the explosion. The accident occurred during road construction work to widen Colonial Blvd. in Fort Myers, Florida.

A lawsuit was filed in Lee Circuit Court in Fort Myers, Florida, on behalf of Collier County and numerous businesses that have suffered as a result of the construction accident. It's unclear at this time who is at fault in the accident, as both the construction site contractors and a gas company are involved.

A Fort Myers work accident lawyer may advise Florida families in cases where a loved one is injured or killed while performing a construction job or other work. These accidents may involve lawsuits and/or Florida Workers Comp claims.

Construction jobs remain among the most hazardous of professions, including those that involve road and highway work. Road construction accidents may also include vehicle crashes where motorists come upon work sites and are involved in accidents with construction vehicles and/or road workers.

OSHA is investigating this Fort Myers, Fla. construction work accident. (See related Florida work accident injury attorney blog article below for further construction site accident details.)

Worker still critical, lawsuit in progress a month after TECO gas explosion
Naples News Dec. 10, 2010

Related Florida Accident Attorney Blog Article:

Fort Myers Highway Construction Project Investigated in Gas Line Explosion Accident; Construction Worker Burned
Nov. 13, 2010

Related Web Resource:
Lee County Florida Clerk of Courts

A Miami, Florida news source reported that Florida Power & Light was partially liable in the case of a longshoreman seriously injured in a Port of Miami construction accident in 2004.

According to media reports, Willie Walker was badly hurt when the toploader he was driving at the Port of Miami collapsed through the pavement, throwing him to the ground. This Port of Miami, Florida dock worker accident occurred on July 31, 2004. Mr. Walker sustained spine and leg injuries requiring surgery. As a result of his injuries, he was unable to return to his Miami construction job.

Injured Florida shipyard workers may consult a Miami maritime accident injury lawyer to determine whether they may have a case against their employer and/or other parties. OSHA reports that thousands of construction workers are injured each year in forklift accidents and other accidents involving powered industrial trucks. In addition, OSHA reports that shipyard work is especially hazardous, "with an injury-accident rate more than twice that of construction and general industry."

Florida Workers Compensation claims may also be an option for people who are injured in the course of performing construction work and other maritime jobs.

Last month, a Florida jury awarded Mr. Walker $4.4 million for pain, suffering, disabilities, medical expenses, and loss of work. Florida Power & Light was found to be partially liable as they owned an easement on the land. In addition, FPL was accused of hiding documents pertinent to the Miami, Florida work accident lawsuit. The general contractor, Danella Construction Corp., was also named in the Florida work-related injury lawsuit.

Florida Power & Light "Hid" Document, Settles with Longshoreman over Port of Miami Accident
MiamiNewTimes.com Nov. 25, 2010

Related Web Resources

OSHA: Powered Industrial Trucks (forklifts)

OSHA Assistance for the Maritime Industry

Lee County officials visited a road construction project site where a natural gas line was punctured, causing an explosion in Fort Myers, Florida this past week that left a worker with serious burn injuries.

According to news reports, the Florida construction accident occurred in Fort Myers where Colonial Boulevard is being widened to six lanes between I-75 and State Route 82. The road construction is a Lee County, Florida, project. The accident occurred when a construction vehicle grading the road punctured the gas main, creating an explosion and fire that badly burned the vehicle driver. The victim was being treated at Lee Memorial Hospital.

Lee County, Florida officials were questioning TECO Peoples Gas company, which operates out of Tampa. News reports stated that TECO had moved a gas line from its original spot to accommodate a drainage system. Confusion centers on why markers indicating the gas line's presence were missing and how much the contractor involved knew about the situation. Investigators are questioning contractor Michigan-based Posen Construction. An engineering firm is also involved in the project.

Fort Myers, Florida construction accident injury attorneys have knowledge of the laws and regulations protecting workers in Florida. Lee County as well as OSHA investigators will examine liability in this construction accident, which could impact surrounding restaurants, hotels, and other businesses in the millions of dollars. More than 7,000 customers (reportedly 6,000 homes and 1,200 businesses) were without gas service when the accident occurred on Thursday.

The Colonial Boulevard highway project was the site of another highway construction accident earlier this summer, where a construction worker was pinned when a crane boom fell on his arms and legs. That injured construction worker was treated and released from a Lee County hospital in Florida. News reports state there have been asbestos removal issues with the project as well.

Highway construction sites can be hazardous not only to construction workers, but to motorists at risk for auto accidents when they encounter closed lanes, barriers, and other unexpected obstacles.

Fort Myers gas line explosion: TECO, contractor face questions
News-Press.com Nov. 13, 2010

OSHA investigating after gas line explosion
NBC-2.com Nov. 12, 2010

Related Web Resources

Florida Transportation Builders Association

Sunshine State One Call (Florida safe digging resource)

Lee County Dept. of Transportation

A Fort Myers, Florida construction company was among the parties held liable in a lawsuit following the 2007 traffic accident death of a Sarasota father on Interstate 75. Last month, a Sarasota County, Florida jury awarded the family of 42-year-old James Brashear $4 million in a case that drew attention to Florida highway safety and preventing deadly road construction site accidents.

According to the Florida Highway Patrol, the deadly multi-vehicle Florida highway accident took place on Oct. 1, 2007, at 12:30 a.m., where a temporary roadblock had been set up around construction at the Bee Ridge Road interchange. The Herald Tribune reported that a semi-truck traveling at 70 mph failed to stop in time to avoid the line of cars stopped at the roadblock, slamming into them and setting off an 11-vehicle accident. Two men died (Mr. Brashear and a man from Miami) and several other people were taken to hospitals with serious injuries. Mr. Brashear's son was among the injured, and he survived.

The Brashear family's lawsuit in this fatal Florida I-75 highway work zone accident cited lack of adequate signage warning motorists leading up to the construction site as contributing factors. A jury ordered Zep Construction of Fort Myers, Florida, and Traffic Control Systems Inc. to pay punitive damages to the family of Mr. Brashear. The insurer for the trucking company of the semi-truck involved in the accident had previously awarded the families of the two men killed a $500,000 settlement.

Fort Myers truck accident lawyers have knowledge regarding Florida traffic laws and safety regulations. Studies have shown that highway construction sites can be particularly hazardous at night -- when drivers are unprepared for sudden stops, lane closures, detours, and unexpected workers and vehicles in or close to the road. The Florida Department of Transportation Work Zone Safety website reports that more than 50 percent of road work site / traffic crashes occur after dark, and that 90 percent of people who perish in road construction zone accidents are motorists and pedestrians.

Jury awards family $4 million for fatal accident
HeraldTribune.com Feb. 25, 2010

Related Web Resource

Florida Work Zone Safety

Anyone who has driven on South Florida's interstates and highways knows the going can be risky, particularly during heavy commuter traffic and at night -- where the combination of speed and volume can lead to accidents. Now, The New York Times has done a report highlighting how highway construction zones pose additional hazards that can cause both serious Florida traffic accidents and motorist and construction worker injury or death.

According to the report, highway construction zone accidents are sometimes caused by driver error, with speed, driving under the influence, and other forms of reckless driving to blame. Highway construction sites often involve lane reductions, cones, concrete barriers, and other unexpected obstacles -- as well as construction workers in or near the road and construction equipment. Drivers who fail to safely slow down and move over or negotiate a highway construction site can cause serious and fatal accidents involving motorists, police on detail, and the construction workers themselves.

The report also points to highway construction company liability, citing a 2007 crash in Sarasota, Florida, where a "rolling roadblock" for work being done on Interstate 75 resulted in 10 people injured and 2 motorists killed in a single night. The report discusses how highway construction sites are managed, how traffic is flowed around them, and the actual road conditions created during highway construction. All can cause hazards that can be deadly if a car or truck accident occurs in the construction zone.

Construction zones have also proven to be hazardous to people on foot, as those who walk in or around areas of city streets and roads that are under construction may be injured or killed in traffic-related pedestrian accidents.

Florida highway traffic accident lawyers are knowledgeable about driving laws and safety regulations designed to keep motorists, construction workers, law enforcement, and emergency personnel safe on Florida's highways.

Fatal Florida I-95 Construction Zone Accident Investigation Continues
Barely a week after The Times report was published, a four-car crash occurred on Florida I-95 at a highway construction site that left James Toles IV, 19, of Savannah, Georgia, dead and Michael Jones, 18, of Macon, Georgia, seriously injured. Four others were hospitalized. Florida Highway Patrol stated that conditions in the construction zone did not cause the crash, though it appears some victims got outside their vehicles and were struck by other vehicles that came upon the crash scene. The initial crash involved two vehicles including a Saturn that ended up straddling a concrete barrier. The investigation into the accident continues.

Efforts Lag to Improve Safety at Work Zones
NewYorkTimes.com Dec. 22, 2009

Danger in the cone zone
Inadequate review of road construction increases risks
HeraldTribune.com Dec. 26, 2009

Deadly I-95 wreck probe continues
Florida Today Dec. 30, 2009

Capoera Construction of Florida is among four companies being fined by OSHA in connection with a fatal construction accident in Texas last summer that claimed three workers' lives.

According to news reports, on June 10, a scaffolding collapse occurred at the 21 Rio Apartment Complex construction site in Austin, Texas, and three construction workers fell to their deaths. A candlelight vigil was held this month to remember the fallen workers and to bring light to the issue of construction worker safety, construction company liability, and preventing work-related accidents.

OSHA cited Florida-based Capoera Construction with serious violations including "failing to provide a competent person to inspect the scaffold prior to use." The other companies cited by OSHA for safety violations in the construction worker deaths are Andres Construction Services, Greater Metroplex Interiors, and Mast Climber Manufacturing. In total, all companies may face up to $160,000 in fines and other penalties.

South Florida construction accident lawyers know the dangers workers face when they go to work building, repairing, and renovating homes and commercial buildings. OSHA -- the United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration -- has guidelines and regulations in place to keep construction workers safe from injury or death.

Florida has a significant Latino and Hispanic population, with many Spanish-speaking workers employed by the construction industry (and related building and maintenance industries such as landscaping and housekeeping). Florida Spanish speaking injury lawyers may assist with cases where Latino or Hispanic construction workers are injured or killed in the course of their jobs, possibly entitling them to Florida Workers Compensation benefits and/or other compensation and damages. OSHA reports that nationally, more than 5,000 workers were fatality injured on the job in 2008.

OSHA issues citations, proposed penalties in construction accident
KVUE.com Dec. 16, 2009

Related Web Resources

Workers Defense Project

OSHA Homepage

OSHA En Espanol

A CBS News investigation revealed that China may not be the only country that has manufactured defective drywall construction products, which have made hundreds of Floridians and other homeowners in southern states sick -- and left their homes in shambles. Some have even abandonned their homes, which they feel are no longer safe or fit to live in.

Chinese drywall manufacturers have been under scrutiny since earlier this year, when homeowners in communities such as West Palm Beach, Florida, began noticing foul-smelling fumes emitting from their walls. (See related blog item from April '09, South Florida Construction Product Liability: Faulty Chinese Drywall to Be Tested.

The CBS report, released last month, asserts that some U.S. companies may also be responsible for manufacturing faulty dry wall that crumbles and gives off noxious, foul-smelling, sickening fumes. The defective product also causes electrical wiring to corrode. To add insult to injury, some home owners are reporting that their insurance companies are not only denying their claims for damage caused by the faulty drywall, but they are cancelling their homeowners' policies. And because scam artists like to prey on people in desperate circumstances, the Federal Trade Commission issued an alert in Dec. warning homeowners against fraudulent offers of faulty drywall tests (see link below).

A number of lawsuits have been filed on behalf of homeowners against American construction product manufacturers, including Georgia Pacific and National Gypsum.

Florida product liability lawyers are familiar with laws and regulations as they relate to the manufacture of construction products such as drywall used to build homes. Drywall became popular in the 1950s as an inexpensive and lightweight construction material, used as an alternative to plaster for framing walls.

Beware of Bogus Tests, Inspections, and Fixes for Damaged Drywall
Federal Trade Commission, Dec. 11, 2009

Homeowners Charge U.S. Made Toxic Drywall
CBSNews.com Nov. 23, 2009

Related Web Resources

U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: Drywall Information Center

Florida Dept. of Public Health: Dry Wall

A Florida Turnpike road worker was killed early last week when he was struck by a dump truck at a construction site. The Fort Lauderdale highway accident occurred near the Commercial Boulevard exit ramp, where work to widen the road was taking place in the northbound lanes.

According to news reports, this fatal construction accident occurred around 3 a.m. on Tues. Dec. 8. Florida Highway Patrol reported that Arturo Moradiellos, 64, was working with the Community Asphalt Corp. construction crew. Moradiellos was standing in back of a dump truck when it backed up over him.

FHP reports that a preliminary investigation of this Florida Turnpike death showed that the backup alarm on the dump truck was working, but the victim failed to hear it. Alcohol did not appear to be a factor. The driver of the dump truck was part of the same road crew as his colleague who was killed.

Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyers realize the dangers inherent in road construction work. Such projects often work overnight, in tight spaces, to minimize lane closures and traffic congestion for the thousands of commuters and vacationers who travel the Florida Turnpike daily.

Highway construction workers are also at risk of being struck by motor vehicles that swerve into the construction site. This fatal Fort Lauderdale, Florida highway accident remains under investigation.

Turnpike Construction Worker Killed On The Job
CBS4.com Dec. 8, 2009

FHP: Turnpike worker killed in accident
MiamiHerald.com Dec. 8, 2009

Related Web Resources

Federal Highway Administration: Work Zone Safety

National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse

OSHA has fined the construction company involved in a Broward County, Florida crane accident that claimed the life of a 43-year-old father of three earlier in the year.

The fatal construction accident occurred June 16 in Pompano Beach, Florida, where Albert Phillips of Coconut Creek was working on a project to shore up a seawall at Lighthouse Point. A crane fell and pinned Mr. Phillips' legs. Mr. Phillips was taken to North Broward Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead. The crane operator took a leave of absence from the job.

The construction company involved in this deadly crane accident has been fined over $18,000 for safety regulation violations. OSHA -- the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration -- fined Ray Qualmann Marine Construction Inc. for failure to conduct proper safety inspections that may have revealed weak points in the equipment, and for allowing a worker not trained on this type of crane to operate the equipment. The construction company disputed some but not all of OSHA violations levelled against them.

A Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyer familiar with liability laws and worker safety regulations may be consulted by families in construction accident cases such as this. Sometimes issues surrounding worker training and the responsibility of construction site subcontractors is called into question, when an accident takes the life of someone who left home to do their job, and did not return. Sometimes cases also involve Florida workers' compensation.

Crane operation and construction site safety is a priority area for NIOSH -- the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. While overall work related deaths in the U.S. have declined over the past year (including in the construction industry -- where deaths declined by 20 percent), 5,071 workers in 2008 lost their lives as a result of doing their jobs. (Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2008, reported Aug. 2009)

Pompano Beach company fined in fatal crane accident
South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com Nov. 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

NIOSH Alert: Preventing Worker Injuries and Death from Mobile Crane Tip-Over, Boom Collapse, and Uncontrolled Hoisted Loads (PDF)

NIOSH Construction Safety

South Florida Associated General Contractors: Safety

A traffic accident this past week in Lee County, Florida, has left a construction worker with a broken arm.

The Florida car - pedestrian accident happened on Thurs. Oct. 29 on a stretch of Interstate 75 undergoing road expansion work in Lee County. The accident occurred on the northbound side of I-75 between the Daniels Parkway and Alico Rd. exits, just past 3 a.m. Florida Highway Patrol took a male driver into custody after he struck a highway worker and fled the scene.

The driver was apprehended by police after searching the woods surrounding the accident scene. He will be charged with driving under the influence (DUI) and leaving the scene of an accident. (In Florida, the legal blood alcohol concentration limit is .08) The injured construction worker was taken to Gulf Coast Medical Center for treatment and released.

A Florida construction site accident lawyer is familiar with the laws in place designed to protect highway workers and law enforcement officials from this type of motor vehicle/pedestrian accident.

Florida Highway Construction Accidents
Construction work accidents where road workers are injured or killed by motorists are unfortunately not all that uncommon. Construction workers doing their jobs in or on the sides of the highway or roadway are vulnerable, particularly at night. Earlier this year, a traffic accident in Bonita Springs, Florida, on I-75 resulted in the death of a highway construction worker when he stepped into the path of a semi-truck.

Florida law enforcement officials are also at risk for this type of work-related injury or fatality when they pull over motorists or stop to assist disabled vehicles. The Florida Move Over Law states that motor vehicle drivers are required to safely change lanes or slow down to a speed that's 20 mph below the speed limit when encountering a police or emergency vehicle stopped on the roadway.

VIDEO: I-75 construction worker injured; DUI arrest made
NaplesNews.com Oct. 29, 2009

Construction worker struck on I-75 in Lee
News-Press.com Oct. 29, 2009

I-75 construction worker killed when hit by semi in Lee County
NaplesNews.com April 3, 2009

Related Web Resources

iROX I-75 Road Expansion Project

Florida Move Over Law

The U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the national rates of fatal work injuries are down, including in Florida. Preliminary data released for The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries showed that 5,071 work injury fatalities were reported in the United States in 2008 -- down from 5,657 work deaths reported in 2007.

Florida work related deaths declined from 363 in 2007 to 290 in 2008. Of those deaths,

107 were due to transportation accidents
56 were caused by assaults and violent acts
41 resulted from "contact with objects and equipment"
Fall accidents caused 39 deaths
Exposure to harmful substances or environments caused 38 workers to perish
6 workers died in fires or explosions

Nationally, construction accidents causing death declined by 20 percent, in the private construction sector, and fatal falls were down. However rates of workplace suicides rose by 28% (though workplace homicides decreased), and fatal workplace injuries in the forestry, farming, and fishing industries also saw an increase. The BLS will release the final statistics in April 2010.

The National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2008 (PDF file)
U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aug. 20, 2009

Related Web Resources

Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI): Current and Revised Data

Florida Safety Council: OSHA Training

Florida Atlantic University: Institute for Design and Construction: Safety Science

An elderly driver involved in a Florida highway traffic accident on I-95 in Brevard County late last month told law enforcement she became confused by a construction project prior to making a bad turn that sent her driving the wrong way on the highway.

The driver, an 84-year-old woman from Melbourne, told Florida Highway Patrol that she was not sure what to do when she came upon a construction site at Palm Bay Road. She then drove up the southbound exit ramp to interstate 95 and proceeded to travel north -- the wrong way -- in the southbound lanes. Two other motorists stopped to avoid the wrong-way driver, but a Miami driver unable to stop his semi truck struck the other two motorists. Two people received medical care for minor injuries, and the elderly driver was charged with driving the wrong way.

Construction site accidents at Florida highway work zones can occur and cause injury or death to both motorists and road construction workers, when drivers become confused by unexpected obstacles such as cones, barrels, blocked lanes, rerouted traffic, temporary signage, and detours. The Federal Highway Administration has published a Work Zone Operations Best Practices Guide in an effort to help states learn from each other's experiences and improve work zone mobility and safety management.

Florida Elderly Driving Accidents
Luckily no one was seriously injured or killed in this accident. But car crashes involving elderly drivers that make news headlines are not unique to the Sunshine State. A national debate is underway with some states discussing whether or not older drivers should be retested before having their driver's licenses renewed -- or revoked. Discussion is also focused on whether age alone should be the major factor in determining driving aptitude...or if health is a more important factor for drivers of all ages, and whether physicians should play a role in reporting patients whose medical conditions may make them unfit to drive.

According to a CBS News report, Florida leads the country in older-driver deaths, and drivers over age 75 have more fatal accidents than any other driver age group except teenagers (CBS News Health, "Elderly Drivers Not Ready to Give Up the Keys," May 13, 2001). Florida is aware of the challenge, which will increase as the Baby Boom enters its golden years. Edmunds.com praises Florida's highway planners for "making visibility and navigability improvements statewide since at least 1991" and for launching the Florida GrandDriver program.

Wrong-way driver sets off I-95 accident in Brevard
OrlandoSentinel.com July 29, 2009

Edmunds.com: Florida Paves the Way for Senior Drivers

Related Web Resources

Florida GrandDriver

Florida Department of Transportation

Federal Highway Administration: Work Zone Safety

A Palm Beach County traffic accident that occurred late last month left two road construction workers dead and a third hospitalized.

The fatal Florida car crash occurred on June 26 in Jupiter on Alternate A1A when a woman motorist, age 43, drove her Toyota Solara into a construction crew working on road resurfacing in the north bound lanes between Frederick Small Rd and Toney Penna Dr. Two workers died and a third was taken to Jupiter Medical Center. Jupiter Police are investigating this accident. News reports stated that a blood sample was taken from the driver, who has a history of speeding incidents. The driver of the Solara also struck a Toyota Camry, whose driver was not injured.

This Palm Beach County accident underscores the risks involved to highway construction workers and emergency officials who perform their jobs in such close proximity to oncoming traffic. A similar South Florida accident occurred the previous week when a motorist slammed a car into a truck being worked on by a highway worker, pinning the worker and causing personal injury.

A Palm Beach injury lawyer may be called on by families to help sort out the details of highway traffic accidents resulting in injury or fatality to determine whether a motorist driving recklessly or under the influence may be held liable.

Construction accidents on highways involving motor vehicles and workers on the road can be prevented. Laws are in place governing speeding in construction zones. In addition, motorists are required to slow down and if possible, change lanes as they are approaching vehicles stopped in the breakdown lane. The State of Florida instituted the Florida Move Over Act in 2002 to protect law enforcement officers and emergency workers stopped on the side of the highways.

Car hits road crew, killing two in Jupiter, police say
Sun-Sentinel.com June 26, 2009

Crash kills 2 road workers
MiamiHerald.com June 27, 2009

Experts: Drivers to be more careful around construction workers
WPTV.com June 27, 2009

Related Web Resources

Florida DHSMV: Move Over, It's the Law

Florida DOT: Traffic Warnings and Updates
(Includes searchable databases of Florida Highway construction projects)

Florida Governor Charlie Crist is at the forefront of a federal investigation into imported Chinese drywall suspected of causing damage to Florida homes and posing potential health risks. The Chinese drywall, which investigations could prove to be a toxic defective building product, may have been used in the construction of many thousands of Sunshine State homes.

The Associated Press reported that months ago, families in West Palm Beach and other South Florida communities began noticing noxious odors in their homes and problems with wiring and other systems. Investigations revealed problems inside the walls of the Florida homes, suggesting that the drywall, imported from China, may be emitting sulfuric gases -- causing pipes and wiring to corrode, blackening silverware, damaging air conditioners, and posing possible health hazards.

According to news reports, estimates of as many as 35,000 homes in Florida may contain the faulty Chinese drywall and up to 100,000 homes in the United States. Lawsuits holding manufacturers, builders, and suppliers liable have been filed in Florida as well as Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. The Florida Dept. of Health has logged hundreds of complaints related to the drywall. It is unknown whether builders working with the Chinese drywall have been exposed to any construction work related health hazards.

Florida's surgeon general along with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the CDC and the EPA are involved in the investigation. A South Florida personal injury lawyer who is versed in state liability laws helps families who suspect their health may have been compromised by toxic products determine if a third party can be held liable. Legislators are being urged to ban the import of Chinese-made construction products until federal investigators can learn more about their makeup and safety.

Fla. to test air in homes with Chinese drywall
Yahoo! News, Associated Press April 18, 2009

Crist asks EPA, CDC for help with Chinese drywall
BayNews9.com April 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

Florida Dept. of Health: Imported Drywall

Florida Gov. Charlie Crist Letters to Congressman Wexler and EPA

A tractor trailer truck accident on I-75 has claimed the life of a South Florida construction worker.

The incident occurred around 3:20 a.m. on April 3 in Fort Myers Florida on Interstate 75 southbound where the iROX road expansion project is underway. According to news reports, construction worker Ruben Garcia-Serrano, 36, of Orlando, who worked for Leware Construction Company, stepped into the path of a semi truck around mile marker 135. Garcia-Serrano was struck and killed.

The Florida Highway Patrol reports that no charges will be filed against the driver of the commercial truck involved in this construction worker fatality.

In cases where a construction worker death may have been caused by negligence, a Florida construction accident lawyer helps the family who has suffered a loss navigate the insurance and legal systems.

Florida Construction Accidents
OSHA reports that the most common causes of construction accidents in Florida and the U.S. are falls from roofs, scaffolding platforms, and cranes. An iROX spokesperson told NBC2 News that this incident where a highway construction worker was hit and killed by a semi truck appears to be "a freak accident." This is the first fatal accident to occur in the iROX Road Expansion Project, which has been ongoing for roughly a year and a half.

iROX worker killed on I-75
NBC2 News Online April 3, 2009

Related Web Resources

iROX I-75 Road Expansion Project

South Florida Traffic Fatalities Map

The Wall Street Journal reported that the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission has launched a federal investigation of potentially hazardous drywall from China used in South Florida construction projects. Though no South Florida construction accidents have been linked to the products, the investigation is focusing on whether sulfuric gases emitted by the drywall can corrode electrical wiring and pose a safety hazard.

An experienced Fort Myers Florida product liability lawyer can assist workers, homeowners, and others who think they may have suffered personal injury or exposure to hazardous toxins due to faulty building materials.

More than 90 complaints are being followed by the Florida Department of Health related to the high-sulfur Chinese drywall used in homebuilding projects--15 of which are believed to be in South Florida. According to the Wall Street Journal, Lennar Homes of Miami, which used the Chinese drywall in some of their homes, is suing Chinese manufacturers after homeowners complained of noxious odors. Homebuilders in Palm Beach County and Homestead Florida also report they are aware of the problem.

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida, the politician who advocated for tougher regulations for Chinese-made toys, is behind this investigation. The National Law Journal reports that a Fort Myers Florida couple who wanted to file a lawsuit delayed court action after the manufacturer offered to inspect their property. However several class action lawsuits against builders and manufacturers of the Chinese drywall are in process.

WSJ: Feds launch probe on Chinese drywall
South Florida Business Journal Feb. 20, 2009

Fla. Couple Delays Suit After Drywall Manufacturer Offers Inspection
The National Law Journal March 4, 2009

Related Web Resources

Florida Department of Health

U.S. Senator Bill Nelson of Florida

Florida Power & Light Co. worker Junior Anthony Seaton died after being electrocuted while working on utility lines in Fort Lauderdale Florida. This Fort Lauderdale electrical utility worker fatality occurred on Weds. Feb. 18, 2009, when Seaton and members of the FPL crew were working on power lines during a planned power outage.

The FPL crew was upgrading power lines at Washington Mutual Bank at Federal Highway and East Broward Boulevard in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. According to Fort Lauderdale police and news reports, Seaton went to check something at a transformer when the accident occurred. Eyewitnesses said Seaton was inside his utility truck near a pole when he was electrocuted.

Other utility workers came to Mr. Seaton's aid and freed him, performing CPR until help arrived. Paramedics tried to revive him, but he was pronounced dead at Broward General Medical Center. The cause of this Florida work-related death was determined to be "accidental caused by high-voltage electrocution."

In 2007, a total of 93 electricians and 30 electrical power line installers and repairers suffered fatal occupational injuries (U.S. Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, 2008.)

Fort Lauderdale Florida Workers Comp Lawyers are familiar with the laws and regulations surrounding employer liability when personal injury or death occurs in the workplace or while on the job. OSHA is investigating this Fort Lauderdale Florida utility worker fatality.

Funeral service set for electrocuted FPL worker from Pines
South Florida SunSentinel.com Feb. 19, 2009

Related Web Resources

OSHA Electrical Hazard Recognition

OSHA Assistance for the Electrical Contractors Industry

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that although the overall national rate of work-related deaths has decreased in recent years, fatal Florida workplace injuries increased in 2007 to 362 deaths. Falls accounted for 15% of all work-related deaths in the U.S. in 2007 (U.S. Department of Labor 2008).

The United States Department of Labor, Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) reports that the most common cause of construction worker fatalities in Florida and every other state is due to falling. Falls account for one out of every three construction worker deaths.

The most common type of construction fall accident is falling from a roof, though other types of falls such as those resulting from scaffolding and crane collapses can also be catastrophic.

A Fort Myers construction accident attorney can help determine whether the construction company, contractor, property owner, or another party is liable if a Florida construction worker dies as the result of a construction slip fall accident.

OSHA: Preventing Fatal Falls in Construction Sept. 25, 2008

Related Web Resources

South Florida Associated General Contractors

South Florida Construction Safety Forum

Three Florida construction workers escaped death in an Orlando area construction accident that left them hanging mid-air, 70 feet high, for nearly two hours.

The Florida construction accident occurred at 2001 Summit Park Drive in Maitland, Florida, in the afternoon on Dec. 8. Preliminary reports from Brasfield & Gorrie, the company overseeing the project, said that the three construction workers, employed by subcontractor Baker Concrete, were installing steel to prepare for laying concrete seven stories high. The scaffolding they were working on came loose from the building, and they lost their footing, slipped, and fell.

All three construction workers were wearing safety harnesses when this work accident occurred, which saved them from falling 70 feet to the ground below, and certain death.

A forklift and crane were used to bring all three construction workers down safely. The three suffered cuts and bruises; two refused medical treatment but one was brought to a clinic for minor work-related injuries. A crane operator who was rattled by the incident was brought to the hospital as a precaution.

As Florida construction accident lawyers, we are all too aware of the risks inherent to the construction industry: Construction has the largest number of work-related fatalities for any industry sector. According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the construction industry employs about 6 percent of U.S. workers -- but accounts for 20 percent of fatal work-related injuries. The cause of this scaffolding accident remains under investigation and the names of the men involved have not been released.

Crane rescues 3 workers after scaffold slips
OrlandoSentinel.com Dec. 9, 2008

Related Web Resource
OSHA: A Guide to Scaffold Use in the Construction Industry

In March, two people died and five were injured in a construction accident at the Miami Paramount Bay condominium project, when a portion of a tower crane toppled through the roof of a home being used as a job site office by contractor Bovis Lend Lease.

Tragically, a crane safety ordinance had passed in Miami-Dade County the week before but had not gone into effect. That's because a coalition of Florida construction organizations filed suit in Federal court and were awarded an injunction prohibiting Miami-Dade County officials from enforcing the safety ordinance. They were afraid that tightened safety regulations would shut down Florida construction sites in violation of the ordinance.

Construction workers often work high above the ground, performing their jobs on scaffolding and cranes perched many stories up in the air. OSHA has crane and derrick safety standards in place, but construction accidents like what happened in Miami still claim too many lives. Florida has also introduced a state tower-crane safety bill which has remained in committee at the State Legislature for two years.

As accident lawyers who advocate for Florida workers hurt on the job, we are all too familiar with what can go terribly wrong on a construction site. Both federal and state regulations are designed to keep construction workers safe. But sometimes, that's not enough. The irony of this sad case is that Florida construction organizations filed suit to keep the safety ordinance -- written to keep their construction workers safe -- from going into effect.

Endgame: Construction Fatalities Soar Nationwide
Southeast Construction Sept. 2008

Two Dead, Five Injured in Miami Crane Collapse
FoxNews.com March 25, 2008