Campanile Redo Construction Site Accidents

Last year, the Dewberry Group revealed plans to renovate and add to its Campanile building that sits on the corner of 14^th Street and Peachtree Street in Midtown Atlanta. This late 1980s tower is currently comprised of 21 stories with a total of 500,000 square feet of office space.

The new project calls for a six-story, 125,000 square-foot office and retail podium to be wrapped around the foot of the tower. This podium will rest atop the existing parking garage. One story will also be added to the tower, providing an additional 25,000 square feet of office space, and the building’s three-story main lobby will also be renovated.

The Campanile redo project is expected to add a significant number of retail tenants in the ground-level spaces, which should make the streets nearby more active and “contribute to the vitality of the neighborhood.” The ground-level terraces will also provide additional space for outdoor dining. The project’s architectural firm Smallwood calls the Campanile redo “an infusion of style and urbanity.”

Campanile Renovation Construction Accident Risks

The Campanile redo project will pave the way for several new retail shops as well as thousands of square feet of available office space. This will create hundreds of permanent jobs for retail and office workers in Midtown Atlanta. The completion of this project will also require numerous construction workers as well as electricians, structural iron and steel workers, architects, engineers, and others needed to contribute to the project.

Overall, the Campanile renovation will be a major boost for the Atlanta economy. But along the way, those in charge of the project need to take every step necessary to prevent injuries among their workers.

Construction is among the most dangerous industries, and OSHA reports that roughly 20% of all workplace fatalities are construction-related deaths. Within this industry, there are four common events that account for nearly 60% of all workplace fatalities:

Slips, Trips, and Falls: The Campanile project will involve adding a six-story podium around the foot of the tower, along with an additional floor on the tower roof. This will involve a lot of workers performing jobs in high elevations where they are at risk of a serious fall. This type of situation is common with all major construction projects, and this is why approximately one-third of all construction site injuries are caused by a slip and fall.
Being Struck By/Struck Against: Roughly 11% of fatal construction events are caused by a worker getting struck by or struck against a hard object or surface. Projects like the Campanile involve countless workers performing various tasks, and with so much going on, it is common for a worker to get hit by an object that falls from one of the floors above them or to get struck by a piece of equipment or machinery that another worker or subcontractor is using nearby.
Electrical Injuries: Electrocutions account for approximately 8.5% of all construction fatalities. When a building is being built or renovated, there is a lot of electrical work going on. This means there are loose cables and loose wiring that is not always secured the way it should be, putting workers at greater risk of an electrical accident.
Caught In Between/Crush Injuries: Getting trapped in an enclosed area or caught in-between when a piece of machinery or equipment malfunctions is another common hazard in the construction industry. This type of event accounts for roughly 5.5% of all construction related fatalities.

These are the most common events that cause construction worker deaths, but there are a number of other hazards that supervisors and workers need to watch out for:

Structural collapses;
Hearing loss from loud noises;
Crane accidents;
Fires and explosions;
Exposure to hazardous substances;
Transportation accidents.

Who is At Fault for a Fulton County Construction Site Injury?

If someone working on the Campanile redo project gets injured, it can take a major physical, emotional, and financial toll on the injured worker and his/her family. Medical bills alone can easily run up into the high five figures or even six figures or more, and the time missed from work can result in a financial hardship.

Workers’ compensation can cover necessary medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, but not much more. Unfortunately, when an injured construction employee files for workers’ comp, they are not able to recover compensation for the more intangible losses they suffer; such as the physical pain-and-suffering they have to go through and the emotional distress of not knowing when they will be able to resume a normal life.

All that said, the legal options for an injured construction worker may not be limited solely to their employer’s workers’ compensation policy. If an outside party contributed to their injury, for example, then they may be able to file a personal injury claim directly against the responsible party. Through a personal injury lawsuit, it is possible to recover noneconomic damages over and above what would be available through workers’ comp.

You may not think that this would apply to your situation, but don’t be so sure. On a construction jobsite, there are a lot of different people performing various tasks, and they are not all coworkers. If a workplace injury is caused by the negligence of a subcontractor that was working nearby, then they could be held legally responsible for the accident.

Another party that often contributes to construction site accidents is a product maker. Dangerous or defective machinery or equipment that malfunctions through regular use may cause an accident, in which case you may be able to file a product liability claim against the designer, manufacturer, supplier, or distributor of the faulty equipment.

On every construction site, materials need to be brought in and out on a daily basis. Workers who frequently leave the site to transport materials back and forth are at risk of a vehicle accident that can cause serious injuries. In a case like this, the responsible party would be the driver who was at fault for the accident.

Injured in an Atlanta Construction Site Accident? Contact Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C. for Assistance

If you or someone close to you got hurt on the Campanile redo project or any other construction project in Atlanta, it is very important to review all of your legal options. At Bailey, Javins & Carter, L.C., we have several decades of experience standing up for injured workers in the construction industry and other industries as well. We understand the complexities of these types of cases, and we work closely with our clients, exploring every potential legal avenue toward recovering maximum compensation.

To schedule your free consultation with one of our seasoned attorneys, message us online or call our Atlanta office today at (678) 981-5370.