Construction plays an important role in society. When the economy is good, there are generally more construction projects underway. This is true whether one lives in Western Pennsylvania or elsewhere in the country. Unfortunately, as is the case in nearly any type of job, it is possible that a worker on a construction site could be injured while working.

Injuries at construction sites can occur in many different types of workplace accidents. One that is all too common for those who work in this field is falls. Depending on the circumstances surrounding a fall, including the height from which the worker falls, the injuries can be serious.

A man in another state suffered serious injuries after being involved in a fall several years ago. At the time of the incident he was more than 80 feet in the air, in a manlift. While he was up there, something went wrong with the manlift causing the basket the man was in to fall approximately 25 feet. In addition to hitting his head, the man also broke one of his femurs.

During the time the man was recovering from his injuries, it is likely that he submitted a claim for workers' compensation benefits. When a claim is accepted, these benefits are paid by an employer's insurance company. In addition however, he also sought financial damages via a personal injury lawsuit. Such a lawsuit could be appropriate if the negligence of another is to blame for the accident occurring. The rental company from which the lift was procured was one of the named defendants. Among other things, the lawsuit alleged that the business did not properly maintain the piece of equipment.

The case recently reached a conclusion and the man was awarded $1.7 million. Of that amount, $1 million was in compensatory damages. The remaining $700,000 was in punitive damages.

Source: Alabama Live, "Daphne man awarded $1.7 million in damages from ThyssenKrupp construction accident," Brendan Kirby, April 4, 2013