Construction Worker Plunges to His Death in LA

A construction worker, on his second day on the job, fell 53 stories to his death last week. The accident occurred at the Wilshire Grand Center tower, which has been under construction for the past three years. Officials for the construction company called the accident “not work-related.”

The building, which is located in the 600 block of South Figueroa Street, is slated to be the highest building west of the Mississippi River when it is finished. Just recently, the building topped out at 73 stories and stands 1,100 feet high. Approximately 1,000 workers are at the construction site daily and this was the first accident reported from the location.

Worker lands on passing car

According to a report at KTLA, the worker fell from the 53rd floor and landed on a passing car. The worker was pronounced dead at the scene and the driver of the vehicle was taken to the hospital, where she was listed in stable condition.

The deceased worker, whose identification is pending upon notification of his family, had been employed by Turner Construction Co. as an electrician for the new construction. It was not clear why the worker would have been doing electrical work at the edge of the building and a spokesperson for Turner said they were able to confirm the employee was “not providing any functions related to his employment or his work” when he fell. The accident is now under investigation by local police and OSHA.

An initial investigation by OSHA at the scene confirmed the no fall protection violations were noted. It was unclear whether the employee was wearing a safety harness at the time of his fall, however. Sergeant Barry Montgomery of the Los Angeles Police Department told New 4 Southern California, “At this time this is being investigated as a tragic workplace accident.”

Falls are common on construction sites

Falls are the most common type of accident occurring at construction sites today, according to OSHA. Other common causes include electrocutions, getting hit by an object and getting caught between objects. In fact, these “fatal four” contributed to more than half of all construction work-related deaths in 2014. There were 874 deaths in the construction industry during that year, and 349 were related to falls.

Construction sites are some of the most dangerous places in the country. OSHA estimates that one in 10 construction workers will be injured on the job every year. The construction industry is also number two in the U.S. for fatal injuries in workers younger than 18, according to the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

Liability in construction accidents

Construction workers who are injured on the job are usually covered by worker’s compensation. However, this type of compensation is rarely sufficient for catastrophic injuries or the death of a loved one. In many cases, victims are forced to document the severity of their workplace injuries to recover just compensation, and disputes are not uncommon. For this reason, it’s recommended that victims ally themselves with experienced legal representation.

For more than 20 years, Ellis Law has advocated for injured victims, ensuring they and their families recover the maximum compensation to which they are entitled. For a free consultation with an experienced Los Angeles construction accident attorney at Ellis Injury Law, please call 310-641-3335.