Primary Location
Torrance Personal Injury Lawyers
2916 W 164th St Second Floor, Torrance, CA 90504
Phone: (424) 622-0812
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Call us at (855) 855-8910
Phoenix construction workers get hurt on scaffolding more often than most people think. Falls from height cause about 72% of scaffold-related injuries across the country. OSHA puts scaffold violations on its top-ten construction hazard list every single year [1].
So what goes wrong? Usually one of these:
OSHA standard 29 CFR 1926 Subpart L says every scaffold has to hold its own weight plus four times the maximum intended load [1]. That's the law. But contractors skip inspections, rush assembly, and ignore load limits because they're behind schedule. That's how people end up in the emergency room.
You fell from a scaffold on a Phoenix job site. Or a collapse sent steel and planking down on top of you. Either way, you need to know who's responsible and what your claim is actually worth.
Even a fall from 10 or 15 feet will break bones. Falls from the higher floors of a Phoenix commercial build? Those cause life-changing injuries. Sometimes fatal ones.
Here's what we deal with in scaffold injury cases:
What most workers don't realize is the price tag that follows a bad scaffold fall. Spinal fusion surgery alone runs well into six figures. Stack lost wages on top of that, months of physical therapy, home modifications, adaptive equipment. The real number is always bigger than the first hospital bill suggests.
Banner University Medical Center and St. Joseph's are the trauma centers that see the most scaffold falls in the Phoenix area. If you got hurt out on a site in Buckeye or Apache Junction, your ambulance ride alone adds thousands to the tab.
A scaffold fall is one type of construction site injury where third-party liability — against a general contractor, scaffold manufacturer, or site owner — can dramatically increase the compensation available beyond what workers' comp alone pays.
After a scaffold goes down, everyone points fingers. The GC blames the sub. The sub blames the rental company. The rental company says the manufacturer shipped faulty equipment. Sound familiar?
Here's who we actually go after in these cases:
What makes Phoenix different from a lot of cities is the construction corridor running from downtown to Tempe Town Lake. Every high-rise has three, four, five subcontractors on site at once. When a scaffold collapses, fault gets split across multiple companies. Arizona law lets you file third-party injury claims against anyone who caused the accident, even on top of a workers' comp claim.
Maricopa County courts handle these multi-party cases. Untangling who did what requires pulling contracts, safety logs, OSHA records, and deposing witnesses. That's not something you should try to handle without a lawyer.
You've got two separate ways to get compensated after a scaffold accident in Arizona. Most workers qualify for both.
Arizona runs a no-fault system. Fell because of your own mistake? Still covered. The only exceptions are if drugs, alcohol, or horseplay were involved. Workers' comp pays for your medical treatment, covers partial wages while you're off work, and provides permanent disability benefits if you can't return to your old job.
File through the Industrial Commission of Arizona [2]. Report the injury to your employer fast and get the Worker's Report of Injury form submitted to ICA's Phoenix office.
Here's the thing workers' comp doesn't give you. Pain and suffering money. Zero. But when a general contractor, rental company, or manufacturer caused the collapse, you can sue them separately. That lawsuit covers full lost wages and future income, pain and suffering, reduced quality of life, and complete medical costs going forward.
Run both at the same time. Workers' comp puts cash in your pocket now. The third-party case builds toward a bigger recovery. Just remember, Arizona gives you two years from the accident date to file under ARS 12-542 [3]. That clock starts ticking the day you get hurt.
Just got injured on a scaffold? Or maybe your spouse or parent did? Do these seven things right now.
One more thing. Job sites around the Camelback Corridor and Roosevelt Row usually have security cameras. That footage captures collapses. But it gets recorded over within days. Your lawyer needs to send a preservation letter before it's gone.
Our attorneys have won real money for construction workers hurt on the job, including scaffold accidents.
A client fell from scaffolding and the defense argued he wasn't actually an employee. Our legal team proved otherwise and recovered $3.6 million in a settlement.
One construction worker suffered high-voltage electrical burns and lost a hand on the job. Our attorneys took that case to trial and came back with a $20.5 million verdict.
Another worker fell while trimming a tree. Spinal fracture. Paralysis. Our team secured a $500,000 settlement for that client.
Every case is different. Past results don't guarantee a similar outcome.
People ask us what a scaffolding accident lawyer actually does all day on their case. Fair question. Here's the honest answer.
We investigate. That means going to the site, photographing every inch of the scaffold setup, talking to witnesses who saw what happened. If OSHA already inspected the site, we get those reports. We dig into contracts between the GC, the subs, and the rental companies to figure out who was supposed to be checking what.
We bring in experts. Construction safety engineers take apart the scaffold design, how it was assembled, whether maintenance was done. Their reports are what win cases.
We calculate what you're actually owed. Medical bills are the easy part. Future surgery costs, lost earning power over the next 20 years, how this injury changes your daily life. We work with medical and financial experts to put a real number on your damages.
We negotiate hard. Insurers know when an attorney has done the homework. We send a demand package with itemized damages, expert reports, OSHA findings. A lot of scaffold cases settle here without going to trial.
And if they won't pay? We file suit. Our Phoenix office sits at 2700 N Central Ave, right near Maricopa County Superior Court. We're there regularly.
You pay us nothing up front. Contingency means we only get paid when you do. With over 250 years of combined legal experience and more than $600 million recovered for our clients, we have the firepower to take on big contractors and their insurance companies.
Our attorneys have handled personal injury cases across Arizona and California. We know how Phoenix insurance companies operate, and we know how to push back.
That number reflects real results for real families — medical bills paid, lost wages recovered, and futures protected.
You pay nothing upfront. Our fee comes out of your settlement or verdict. If we do not win your case, you owe us nothing.
Accidents do not follow business hours. Neither do we. Call (602) 905-7766 any time — nights, weekends, and holidays.
Our Phoenix team works out of 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320. We know the roads, the courts, and the insurance adjusters you are up against.
“After a crash, you need a team that answers the phone, explains your options, and fights for every dollar you are owed. That is what we do at The Simon Law Group.”
Over 250 years of combined attorney experience
Phoenix office at 2700 N Central Ave, Suite 320 |
Licensed in Arizona and California
Nationally, scaffold incidents cause about 4,500 injuries and 60 deaths per year. Phoenix's year-round construction season means local workers face above-average exposure to scaffold hazards compared to cities with seasonal slowdowns.
Yes. Workers' comp covers medical bills and lost wages regardless of fault. A separate third-party lawsuit against the negligent contractor, rental company, or manufacturer can recover pain and suffering and full future earnings on top of that.
The rental company, the general contractor, and the subcontractor who set it up may all share liability. An investigation into the equipment condition, assembly process, and site safety logs determines which parties were negligent.
Workers' comp claims should be filed as soon as possible after the injury. Personal injury lawsuits must be filed within two years of the accident under ARS 12-542. Waiting too long can cost you the right to recover compensation.
No. Arizona's workers' comp system is no-fault. You qualify for benefits even if you caused the accident, as long as drugs, alcohol, or horseplay weren't involved.
Workers' comp covers medical expenses and partial wage replacement. A third-party lawsuit can also recover pain and suffering, diminished future earnings, and loss of quality of life. The total depends on the severity of your injuries and who was at fault.
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