52027131 construction-checklist-10-08
- 1. The Harmonie Group has asked its member firms and their respective construction practice attorneys to assist in putting together this CHECKLIST FOR CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION. This checklist is provided to illustrate possible action items you may wish to review in the course of investigating or handling your particular accident, case, or event. As all states vary, and since each individual accident is different, there is no correct or complete list of investigation steps that will be appropriate for all situations. However, these specific steps are matters you should consider as possibly being necessary or required in your particular situation after carefully weighing the facts and the legal issues and after consulting with an experienced attorney. As always, the Harmonie member firm attorneys are prepared to discuss with you the individual items listed to determine if there is applicability to your specific case. In certain cases, other steps may be required depending on the circumstances. The Harmonie Group does not practice law, and this summary checklist should not be construed as a recommendation or a list of required steps in any particular case. It is provided as an illustration of possible matters that only you, with competent legal advice and consideration of the variables involved, can determine are necessary in your specific case. LOCATE: • All warnings, signage and other safety devices on location; • All flagging, tie-offs and barriers; • Guarding and safety mechanisms; • Warnings and manuals for all equipment involved; • Contracts of all involved parties, indemnity agreements, insurance policies and certificates, notify insurers. DETERMINE: • Construction activities ongoing at the time of the accident; • What was injured worker doing at the time of the accident; • All environmental or weather conditions for the day of the accident; • Basic cause of the accident, e.g., fall, collapse, equipment failure; CHECKLIST FOR CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT INVESTIGATION CHECKLIST IDENTIFY: • Person(s) involved or killed, summon help and medical assistance as needed, and notify family/contact person(s); • The exact location site of the accident; • The date and exact time of the accident; • All eyewitnesses to the accident and surrounding conditions; • Foremen and other safety managers on site; • All contractors and subcontractors working on site at the time of the accident; • Employer and foreman of the injured worker(s); • Personal protection equipment available and in use, e.g., tie-offs, lanyards, helmets, ladders.
- 2. The Harmonie Group provides a 24-hour emergency/accident response directory of construction attorneys on its firm directory page at www.harmonie.org. The firms in the group may have relationships and be able to make suggestions on accident reconstructionists, adjusters, photographers, criminal defense attorneys, lab testing facilities, and many more resources. INTERNATIONAL LEGAL ASSISTANCE This checklist is geared toward the legal needs for construction litigation in the United States; however, The Harmonie Group has an international member with offices in the UK, Spain and Mexico. Should you need legal advice in any of these countries, you may contact the law firm of Davies Arnold Cooper at +44 020 7936 2222. The Harmonie Group also provides access to legal services across Canada through its affiliation with the Canadian Litigation Counsel. For CLC firms located throughout Canada, visit www.clcnow.com or call (866) 252-5515. • General nature of the primary injury, e.g., fracture, cut, head injury; • What companies owned or furnished any tools or equipment involved in the accident; • Preserve evidence and/or document worksite conditions before altered by ongoing construction. OBTAIN: • Accident report; • Police/Fire Department reports; • Jobsite progress photographs and any accident site photographs taken; • Any site, security or newscast videotape; • Handwritten or recorded statements of witnesses; • OSHA investigation documents and reports; • Daily reports or logs for the day before and of the accident; • Safety meeting records of all involved parties and for the project. For more information on The Harmonie Group, go to www.harmonie.org or contact: Tim Violet, Esq. | Executive Director | THE HARMONIE GROUP 634 Woodbury Street | St. Paul, MN 55107 | Office: (651) 222-3000 | Cell: (612) 875-7744 | Fax: (651) 222-3508 | Email: [email protected] The Harmonie Group provides NATIONAL ACCESS TO EXCELLENCE> The defense firms in our network handle complex and difficult high-stakes litigation for corporations, third party administrators and insurance companies. The process of looking for counsel can be time-consuming, uncertain and difficult. Harmonie is a by invitation only network where the firms are subjected to a rigorous review process to meet our standards, ethics and values before they are invited to join. The Harmonie Group is pleased to provide online access to our NATIONAL DIRECTORY on our website at www.harmonie.org. MICHIGAN GARAN LUCOW MILLER P.C. (248) 641-7600 MINNESOTA MEAGHER & GEER, P.L.L.P. (612) 338-0661 MISSISSIPPI BUTLER, SNOW, O'MARA, STEVENS & CANNADA, PLLC (601) 948-5711 MISSOURI RABBITT, PITZER & SNODGRASS, P.C. (St. Louis) (314) 421-5545 WALLACE, SAUNDERS, AUSTIN, BROWN & ENOCHS, CHARTERED (Kansas City) (913) 888-1000 MONTANA MILODRAGOVICH, DALE, STEINBRENNER & NYGREN, P.C. (406) 728-1455 NEBRASKA ERICKSON & SEDERSTROM,P.C.,L.L.O. (402) 397-2200 NEVADA OLSON, CANNON, GORMLEY & DESRUISSEAUX (702) 384-4012 NEW HAMPSHIRE SULLOWAY & HOLLIS, PLLC (603) 224-2341 NEW JERSEY BRAFF, HARRIS & SUKONECK (Livingston) (973) 994-6677 MARGOLIS EDELSTEIN (Westmont) (856) 858-7200 NEW MEXICO RODEY, DICKASON, SLOAN, AKIN & ROBB, P.A. (505) 765-5900 NEW YORK ABRAMS, GORELICK, FRIEDMAN & JACOBSON, P.C. (NYC) (212) 422-1200 HURWITZ & FINE, P.C. (Buffalo) (716) 849-8900 MOLOD SPITZ & DESANTIS, P.C. (NYC) (212) 869-3200 PAUL FRANK + COLLINS P.C. (Upstate NE NY) (802) 658-2311 NORTH CAROLINA CRANFILL SUMNER & HARTZOG LLP (919) 828-5100 NORTH DAKOTA MEAGHER & GEER, P.L.L.P. (612) 347-9196 OHIO REMINGER & REMINGER COMPANY, L.P.A. (216) 687-1311 OKLAHOMA BEST & SHARP (918) 582-1234 OREGON MARTIN, BISCHOFF (503) 224-3113 PENNSYLVANIA FINE, WYATT & CAREY, P.C. (Scranton) (570) 343-1197 MARGOLIS EDELSTEIN (Philadelphia) (215) 922-1100 ZIMMER KUNZ, PLLC (Pittsburgh) (412) 281-8000 RHODE ISLAND CAMPBELL CAMPBELL EDWARDS & CONROY PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (401) 421-5123 SOUTH CAROLINA RICHARDSON, PLOWDEN & ROBINSON, P.A. (803) 771-4400 SOUTH DAKOTA GUNDERSON, PALMER, GOODSELL & NELSON, LLP (605) 342-1078 TENNESSEE BAKER, DONELSON, BEARMAN, CALDWELL & BERKOWITZ, PC (901) 577-2256 TEXAS BROWN SIMS, P.C. (Houston) (713) 629-1580 HERMES SARGENT BATES, L.L.P. (Dallas) (214) 749-6000 UTAH SNOW, CHRISTENSEN & MARTINEAU (801) 521-9000 VERMONT PAUL FRANK + COLLINS P.C. (802) 658-2311 VIRGINIA HARMAN, CLAYTOR, CORRIGAN & WELLMAN, P.C. (804) 747-5200 WASHINGTON BETTS, PATTERSON & MINES, P.S. (206) 292-9988 WEST VIRGINIA ZIMMER KUNZ, PLLC (304) 292-8531 WISCONSIN PETERSON, JOHNSON & MURRAY, S.C. (414) 278-8800 WYOMING HIRST APPLEGATE, P.C. (307) 632-0541 THE GENERAL PHONE NUMBERS OF THE U.S. HARMONIE GROUP MEMBER FIRMS ARE BELOW. THE HARMONIE GROUP PROVIDES A 24-HOUR EMERGENCY/ACCIDENT RESPONSE DIRECTORY OF CONSTRUCTION ATTORNEYS ON ITS FIRM DIRECTORY PAGE AT WWW.HARMONIE.ORG. ALABAMA NORMAN, WOOD, KENDRICK & TURNER (205) 928-6643 ALASKA DELISIO MORAN GERAGHTY & ZOBEL, P.C. (907) 279-9574 ARIZONA THE CAVANAGH LAW FIRM, P.A. (602) 322-4000 ARKANSAS BARBER,MCCASKILL,JONES&HALE,P.A. (501) 372-6175 CALIFORNIA BURNHAM BROWN (San Francisco/Oakland) (510) 444-6800 MANNING & MARDER, KASS, ELLROD, RAMIREZ LLP (Los Angeles) (213) 624-6900 SPILE, SIEGAL, LEFF & GOOR, LLP (Los Angeles) (818) 784-6899 COLORADO COOPER & CLOUGH PC (303) 607-0077 CONNECTICUT RYAN, RYAN, JOHNSON & DELUCA, LLP (203) 357-9200 DELAWARE SMITH, KATZENSTEIN & FURLOW, LLP (302) 652-8400 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Please see listings for MD and VA. FLORIDA BUNNELL WOULFE KIRSCHBAUM KELLER & GREGOIRE, P.A. (Miami/Fort Lauderdale) (954) 761-8600 FISHER, RUSHMER, WERRENRATH, DICKSON, TALLEY & DUNLAP, P.A. (Orlando) (407) 843-2111 GUILDAY, TUCKER, SCHWARTZ & SIMPSON, P.A. (Tallahassee) (850) 224-7091 GEORGIA DREW, ECKL & FARNHAM, LLP (404) 885-1400 HAWAII YAMAMURA & SHIMAZU (808) 523-6969 IDAHO HALL, FARLEY, OBERRECHT & BLANTON, P.A. (208) 395-8500 ILLINOIS RABBITT, PITZER & SNODGRASS, P.C. (Southern Illinois) (314) 421-5545 SANCHEZ DANIELS & HOFFMAN LLP (Chicago) (312) 641-1555 INDIANA LOCKE REYNOLDS LLP (317) 237-3800 IOWA AHLERS & COONEY, P.C. (515) 243-7611 KANSAS WALLACE, SAUNDERS, AUSTIN, BROWN & ENOCHS, CHARTERED (913) 888-1000 KENTUCKY STITES & HARBISON, PLLC (502) 587-3400 LOUISIANA COOK, YANCEY, KING & GALLOWAY, APLC (Shreveport) (318) 221-6277 SUTTERFIELD & WEBB, L.L.C. (New Orleans) (504) 598-2715 MAINE CAMPBELL CAMPBELL EDWARDS & CONROY PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (207) 780-1190 SULLOWAY & HOLLIS, PLLC (207) 253-5141 MARYLAND HODES, PESSIN & KATZ, P.A. (410) 938-8800 WRIGHT, CONSTABLE & SKEEN, LLP (410) 659-1300 MASSACHUSETTS CAMPBELL CAMPBELL EDWARDS & CONROY PROFESSIONAL CORPORATION (617) 241-3000