How to avoid common pitfalls that cause construction accidents

Does your work take you down in the trenches? Did you know that trench collapses are among the top hazards for serious construction accidents?

According to this 2017 OSHA news release, trench cave-ins  and excavation operations caused more than 20 deaths and 12 injuries in 2016. A St. Louis area plumbing company was recently cited in more than one incident of unprotected trench construction at construction sites.

Sadly the second incident came on the heels of their 33 year-old employee’s death due to a trench cave-in construction accident.  What a tragic waste of a life!

In the citations, OSHA noted that the employees of the plumbing company were not properly trained in the hazards of trench excavation. A 12 foot trench was not properly protected with a support system. Even more basic, no ladder was supplied for the employees to quickly exit the trench in case of emergency.

It’s hard to understand this lack of safety equipment and basic safety knowledge.

Small businesses work so hard to build their clientele. Hiring good employees is another huge challenge. Why would you not protect them on the job?

We’re all going to have bad days! However, safety systems, training, and equipment help us all have fewer bad days. Construction accidents equal a very bad day.

With spring just around the corner,  the construction industry is going to be picking up speed and adding projects. As a worker, what can you do to protect yourself from a construction accident?

  • If you’re a construction worker, you can research your own job. Take a little initiative. What’s the proper safety equipment you need? Ask your employer. If they downplay this question, it’s a sign. No fortune cookie needed. Keep your eyes open for a new job!
  • Does a procedure look unsafe? Question it! It’s okay to stand up for yourself and the safety of those around you.
  • Always be aware of your surroundings. This may mean cranking down the music, and responding to calls or texts only on a break.
  • Don’t let fellow workers distract you!  Any parent knows that the worst  accidents happen in a moment of brief distraction. Same rule applies on the job.
  • Be careful with prescription medications on the job.  You need to make sure you are okay to operate heavy equipment on your current medication.
  • Arrive at work sober. This may seem like a given, but bringing “Jim Bean”, “Jack Daniels” or any of his cousins to work increases your risk of construction accidents.
  • Make sure your safety equipment is working properly. ( Like checking your own latch on an amusement park ride.) If you see other workers tossing aside the safety equipment, be the safety advocate.  Someone’s mother will thank you!

Maybe you’ve already been injured in a construction accident. The stress is real! Pain, time off work, mounting bills — just to name a few issues.

 Need help getting your workers’ compensation pay? You must prove that your injuries are due to an accident on the job, no matter who was at fault. Expert workers’ compensation lawyers from The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC are available to fight your legal battles for you. Attorney Steimel is licensed to represent cases in both Missouri and Illinois.

Call 636-244-3737 today to schedule your free initial consultation.

 

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.

 

Aggressive drivers and your auto accident

Aggressive driver?

According to the Missouri Department of Transportation statistics, aggressive drivers top the list for causing serious injuries and fatalities in the state. That means aggressive drivers caused 400 more deaths between 2013 and 2015 than drivers under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

Anyone here ever had to suddenly change lanes or pull off to the shoulder to avoid being hit by a “NASCAR” driver? Even if you managed to avoid a car accident, you still experience the trauma. Shortness of breath. Heart pounding. Hands shaking!

You’re not alone. MoDOT’s top category for serious car accident injuries is sadly named “run-off-road” crashes.  This type of accident caused almost 6,000 serious injuries and over 1,000 fatalities from 2013 to 2015.

The problem with a “run-off-road” crash is that many times the aggressive driver is nowhere to be found.

It’s terrible to witness a bad car accident, and not be able to identify the culprit.  This happened to me once.  Out of the corner of my eye in my rear view mirror, I saw an 18 wheeler going at least 60mph suddenly change lanes in front of an SUV. I was stopped in the far left turn lane. The SUV swerved to avoid the truck .  It flipped across the intersection in front of me onto the opposite side of the highway. Thankfully the opposing traffic was stopped at a red light.

The SUV was totaled. The 18 wheeler was long gone. Perhaps the truck driver never even knew he caused a terrible accident in his haste and carelessness. I could only say it was a white truck. Not much evidence to go on, for sure! I could only hope the driver didn’t sustain serious long-term injuries.

If you’ve been in a serious car accident caused by an aggressive driver, please read on!  Don’t just let your insurance company settle for you.

Even the Department of Motor Vehicles admits on their website that the auto insurance adjuster is going to offer you a low settlement fee. It’s their job. They have to watch out for the bottom line of the company they work for — even if it is car insurance you paid for.

However, a serious auto accident can cause a multitude of “hidden” costs over the years such as:

  • Chronic pain
  • Back, neck, and spine issues
  • Eventual surgery
  • Lost hours of work
  • Worry and emotional stress due to pain and financial losses

Worse than a low settlement fee, your insurance company may try to claim your car accident was partially your fault.

If you’ve been the victim of a “run-off-road crash”, this scenario is even more likely.  Let’s hope you have a good, solid witness to your car crash. Aggressive drivers are often hard to catch!

Did you know that a car accident attorney will often take your personal injury case on a contingency fee basis?

This means the lawyer only gets paid if he wins your case. Then he gets a percentage of the settlement.

You owe it to yourself and your family to get the best possible legal outcome if your auto accident was caused by an aggressive driver.  The Law Offices of Nathan  A. Steimel, LLC  has a top rating as car accident attorneys by AVVO.  Don’t hassle with the insurance company! Get expert legal help instead.

Call 636-244-3737 today for a free initial consultation.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship

 

 

What you need if you (or your daughter) are pregnant, addicted, and facing drug possession charges

help for an addicted pregnant mother

It’s a mother’s worst nightmare — you discover your daughter is addicted to opioids, pregnant with your grandchild, and facing drug possession charges!

In a recent 2017 study compiled by the Missouri Foundation for Health, in the past ten years, the number of babies born addicted to narcotics in Missouri has increased by an astounding 538%! This nightmare is a genuine reality for many Missouri grandmothers.

Add a mandatory minimum sentence to this scenario. Even a compassionate, reasonable judge will have no choice in the matter. A mandatory minimum sentence is just that — mandatory!  Judges are not allowed to rewrite the law.

Drug possession charges are no laughing matter in Missouri.

According to FindLaw.com,  cocaine possession charges start with a mandatory minimum sentence of one year in jail.  That’s a Class C felony on a person’s record.

One year may seem like a small amount of time, but for a pregnant momma, that’s a hugely important year. Your pregnant daughter may end up in jail and even give birth while incarcerated. That’s enough to make you cry!

Prenatal care is sure to be less than “five-star” under these circumstances. Diet, exercise, and good environment help an unborn baby’s healthy development. The stress of the prison environment  is bad enough for mother and baby. Think about the roomies! How about frozen TV dinners every night?

If an expectant mother is addicted to opioids, she will need access to withdrawal meds such as Suboxone to wean herself and the baby off of narcotics. Getting access to these drugs can be challenging enough for an addicted expectant momma outside of prison.

A recent news story in The Riverfront Times reminds us of the grim facts. Pregnant, addicted women often receive bottom-of-the-barrel treatment by society and even from those who should be their most trusted ally — their OB-GYN.  Shame and stigma follow these expectant mothers everywhere!

It’s easy to understand this attitude, though. Addiction is so harmful to the unborn child. C’mon! Get your act together, right? Throwing stones only injures the innocent in this scenario.

Encouragement and compassionate, nurturing care are important for every expectant mother — for the sake of both mother and baby.  Mandatory minimum sentencing punishes an unborn citizen in this respect. It’s the legal setting for a modern-day Les Miserable.

Addiction and drug possession charges carry long-lasting consequences. Besides the social stigma, there’s the criminal record. Imagine spending a year in jail, then attempting to get hired or to rent a decent apartment.

Meanwhile, what do you do if you or a loved one are currently facing drug possession charges, pregnant or not? You need prompt access to both medical and legal help.

Hope and medical help for pregnant addicts is now available in the St. Louis area through the efforts of an amazing woman and a growing team — Dr. Jaye Shyken of the Women and Infant Substance Help Center (also known as the WISH Center).  It’s a branch of St. Mary’s Hospital.

Concrete personalized action plan. Proven ways and methods to break addiction. Accountability. Dignity.  One can only hope this one-of-a kind program at the WISH center will take off like wildfire around our nation. The epidemic of addicted mommas and babies is no longer an issue we can ignore.

Is there any legal hope or help, despite mandatory minimum sentencing?

Yes and YES!  You definitely don’t want to end up with the maximum possible sentence. Your very first step is to reach out for expert legal help.

You need an aggressive, experienced criminal defense lawyer. It pays to explore and know your options — even possible probation for a first-time offender. Attorney Steimel of the greater St. Louis area knows Missouri drug possession laws. He will fight for your best future in court. Call 636-244-3737 today. Don’t face criminal charges without timely expert legal help!

 

Construction boss? How to avoid hypothermia AND a workers’ compensation case

If you’re a great construction boss, you know your men. You do your best to protect them and your company from personal injury and the risk of a workers’ compensation case.

Your radar is on “high alert” if you have  a worker who regularly shows up with that suspicious whiff of alcohol on his breath.   However, you may not be aware that drinking alcohol puts your worker at greater risk for hypothermia.

It’s the slow season for those who work outside — roofers, home improvement contractors, and anyone in the construction industry. So, you take work when you can get it, right?  Working out in the elements is just something you do to make ends meet.  Plus, you need to keep your crew busy so they can feed their families.

Finding skilled reliable help is always a huge challenge for home improvement contractors and the construction industry. It’s easy to ignore that whiff of alcohol, however, when a crew member shows up dependably, works hard, and does good work. Your sharp eyes will always be watching to see if they are able to safely and reliably do their job.

Prolonged exposure to frigid temperatures is a game-changer.

That’s right. According to WebMD, alcohol increases this risk of hypothermia. Hypothermia threatens the safety of your crew and those around them in several ways.  To prevent a  serious accident on the job and  avoid a personal injury or workers’ compensation case due to hypothermia, you need to know the signs.

  • Shivering! This is actually a good thing. While there’s shivering, there’s hope! While we’ve all done our share of shivering due to winter weather, there’s a difference. In the early stages of hypothermia, shivering is uncontrollable. As hypothermia progresses, shivering stops. I experienced this years ago during a surfing lesson in the Pacific Ocean. The thickest wet suit available did not shut out the cold ocean temperatures. My teeth would not stop chattering!  Burying myself in the sun-warmed sand did the trick.  The key is WARM UP immediately!
  • Confusion. If your worker is not making sense, this is an elevated cause for alarm. Hypothermia is a medical emergency. It should not be ignored. It’s time to bring your crew in out of the cold for regular “warm-up” breaks. If you see a confused worker, you need to take swift action. While you wait  with the victim indoors for the ambulance to arrive, remove any wet clothing, wrap the victim in warm blankets, and apply dry heat to the neck and middle portion of the body. Offer warm fluids. (NO alcohol, as that speeds up hypothermia.)
  • Clumsiness and lack of coordination. Cold weather numbs both the extremities and the brain. That roofing nail gun or circular saw becomes a deadly weapon in clumsy hands! Avoid a personal injury case and a workers’ compensation case by checking for hypothermia, offering warm drinks, and frequent breaks to your crew.
  • Shallow breathing, slurred speech, drowsiness and exhaustion — also watch for these signs of hypothermia.

The onset of flu symptoms combined with working in frigid temperatures is an added ingredient for a possible fatality.

It’s a rugged outdoor life as a construction worker. When tough guys try to power through  the weather, making that tough call may save lives and your business.

Injured on the job in Missouri or Illinois? You can find experienced, aggressive legal help today for your workers’ compensation case or personal injury case. Call The Law Offices of Nathan A. Steimel, LLC at (636)244-3737 for a free initial consultation.

This website is designed for general information only. The information presented on this site should not be construed to be formal legal advice or the formation of a lawyer/client relationship.