Scaffold Accident Lawyer in Massachusetts

Scaffold Accidents in Massachusetts

Scaffolding is essential to construction, painting, masonry, and maintenance work on multi-story structures, but it is also among the most dangerous work environments when it is improperly designed, erected, maintained, or used. Scaffold collapses, plank failures, falls from unguarded scaffold platforms, and being struck by objects falling from scaffolds cause some of the most severe injuries in the construction industry. Attorney Jeffrey C. Lavey represents scaffold accident victims throughout Massachusetts, pursuing the full range of available compensation.

OSHA Scaffolding Safety Requirements

OSHA establishes comprehensive scaffolding safety requirements covering scaffold design and load capacity, erection and dismantling procedures, planking requirements, guardrail systems, and access requirements. Scaffolds must be erected by a competent person, inspected before each shift, designed to support their intended loads with appropriate safety factors, and equipped with proper fall protection. When these requirements are not met and a worker is injured, those violations are strong evidence of negligence supporting both workers' compensation and third-party claims.

Multiple Parties Who May Bear Liability

Scaffold accident liability frequently involves multiple parties: the scaffold manufacturer if a structural defect caused a collapse; the scaffold erection contractor if improper assembly created the hazard; the general contractor who was responsible for overall site safety; the property owner in some circumstances; and the employer if their own negligence in directing unsafe scaffold use contributed. Attorney Lavey investigates all of these parties and pursues every responsible defendant in every scaffold accident case.

Falls From Scaffolding

Falls from scaffolding platforms are the most common type of scaffold accident. An unguarded scaffold edge, a gap in the planking, a missing access ladder, or a sudden loss of footing on an inadequately maintained walking surface can send a worker into a fall from significant height. The injuries sustained in scaffold falls are often catastrophic: traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, multiple fractures, and fatal outcomes. Third-party claims against the general contractor and scaffold erector are frequently the most valuable source of compensation beyond workers' compensation in these cases.

Struck-By Injuries at Scaffold Work Sites

In addition to falls from scaffolding, workers and members of the public below active scaffold areas are at risk of being struck by tools, materials, or debris falling from the scaffold platform. OSHA requires toeboards, debris screens, and controlled access zones beneath active scaffold areas to prevent struck-by injuries. When these protections are absent and someone is struck from above, the scaffold erector, the employer using the scaffold, and the general contractor all bear potential liability.

Frequently Asked Questions