Articles Tagged with construction accident

dawn-armfield-66060-copy-300x225A construction site on San Pablo Avenue between Oakland and Emeryville caught fire on Saturday, May 13. The fire broke out in the mixed-use apartment complex around 5 a.m. and took about 100 hours to control. Both the Oakland Fire Department and the Alameda County Fire Department sent engines and firefighters. The debris was still smoldering and firefighters remained on site through Sunday. The fire led to the evacuation of at least 35 residents from 15 neighboring units as officials were worried the partially burned crane might collapse. Some nearby homes were severely damaged.

This is the second time the construction site has gone up in flames. It caught fire last July, and neighbors and the building developers suspect arson. The previous fire started at around 2:45 a.m. and also spread to nearby homes and businesses.

The development was intended to be 105 one- to four-bedroom units and 21,000 square feet of retail space known as the Intersection. However, it remains to be seen when the Intersection will come to fruition. The building was supposed to be finished this October. However, this has set it back at least nine months.

v_cxsrohkwg-matthew-hamilton-300x200It is only the end of January and San Francisco has already witnessed multiple scaffolding accidents that have led to pedestrian and worker injuries. In early January, poor weather caused scaffolding materials to fall from a seven-story building near Market Street. San Francisco police blocked off a portion of Market Street for fear that other materials could fall and hurt people. About an hour later, scaffolding collapsed near California and Spruce Streets. On January 20, scaffolding fell near Turk and Market, hurting an individual who was taken away in an ambulance. On the 24th, three workers were seriously hurt when the scaffolding they were using collapsed. They fell 25 feet to concrete suffering fractures and internal injuries. For this particular incident, the building owner did not have the proper work permits and there were multiple safety violations.

Scaffolding is often a necessary component to new construction and renovations. However, it must be constructed properly and protected from the elements. When scaffolding is not constructed or used correctly, it is more likely to collapse and cause injuries.

If you were injured due to falling scaffolding materials or a collapse, do not hesitate to reach out to an experienced San Francisco personal injury lawyer at Brod Law Firm. We will determine who is responsible for the construction materials and site that led to your injuries, whether the scaffolding was properly installed, and whether the owner had the proper work permits.

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