Although it may appear that not much has changed in ladder design over the decades, in fact more sophisticated models and materials are supposed to make ladders sturdier and safer. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that more than 164,000 people are injured seriously enough to warrant an emergency room visit and 300 people die every year in ladder-related accidents in the United States — granting our country the unfortunate status of having the most ladder deaths in the world.
Founded in 1950 by two dedicated Harvard Law School graduates, Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC solely concentrates its law practice on personal injury recovery. Our lawyers never take facts at face value, but instead conduct a thorough investigation to uncover the reasons an accident occurred. In many cases, workers who fall from ladders are not at fault. We have discovered that many ladder accidents arise because of poor design or defective production. If appropriate in your case, our law firm files a claim for benefits with the State of New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation and files a lawsuit for damages against the ladder manufacturer.
The workers compensation program allows employees to collect essential medical and wage benefits after a workplace accident. Your employer is given immunity to most lawsuits in exchange for carrying workers compensation insurance. In return, you do not have to wait until the conclusion of a long lawsuit before you can receive much-needed financial support, and you do not have to prove that your employer caused your ladder fall. We aggressively pursue your workers compensation claim for recovery of the maximum available benefits.
OSHA sets basic standards for workplace safety. Among its many regulations are extensive requirements for the design, construction and use of ladders on the job site. Ladders marketed to commercial customers that do not meet these specifications may violate OSHA rules regarding unsafe products. In addition, your employer may be liable for knowingly introducing inferior ladders to your workplace.
For more information about recovering benefits and damages for ladder falls in the workplace, call Gelman Gelman Wiskow & McCarthy LLC at 862-263-0770 or contact us online to schedule your one-hour free initial consultation. There are no up-front costs to you, and you pay no fees unless we win your case. For your convenience, we have offices in Elmwood Park, Bridgewater, Hackensack, Morristown, and Roseland, with Spanish-speaking translators available by request.