Window Washing Accidents

Window washing is essential for maintaining commercial buildings, high-rise residences, and public structures, but those who perform such tasks face significant risks. Window washing accidents can occur due to falls, equipment failures, and a range of other hazards, often resulting in severe or even life-threatening injuries. While money alone often cannot repair the losses caused by window washing accidents, people hurt in such incidents may be able to recover workers’ compensation benefits to cover medical expenses and lost wages. If you were hurt while washing windows at work, it is smart to talk to a lawyer about your options. The trusted Prince George’s County workers’ compensation attorneys of Foran & Foran, P.A. are proficient at handling claims for benefits, and we can assess your harm and inform you of your rights.

The most common cause of window washing accidents is falls from significant heights, typically due to inadequate fall protection, unstable scaffolding, or improper use of safety harnesses. When these essential safety measures fail, a worker may suffer severe injuries, including fractures, traumatic brain injuries, and spinal cord damage. These injuries often require extensive medical treatment and can lead to long-term or even permanent disability.

Another significant risk factor in bringing about window washer accidents is equipment failure. Ropes, pulleys, scaffolding, and harnesses are essential to keeping workers safe; however, any failure in these components can lead to catastrophic accidents. Inadequate maintenance or faulty equipment can lead to sudden drops or unexpected movement, causing serious harm. Additionally, exposure to environmental elements—such as strong winds, rain, and extreme temperatures—adds to the difficulty of window washing, increasing the risk of injury. Due to the complex and often severe nature of these injuries, many window washers find themselves facing extended recovery times, impacting their financial stability and overall quality of life.

Maryland’s workers’ compensation laws are designed to provide benefits to employees injured while performing their job, including those injured in window washing accidents. Eligible employees are generally entitled to medical benefits to cover all treatment related to the workplace injury, such as doctor visits, surgeries, hospital stays, prescription medications, and rehabilitative therapy. These medical benefits are intended to ensure that workers have access to necessary healthcare without incurring out-of-pocket costs, allowing them to focus on recovery.

In addition to medical benefits, workers’ compensation in Maryland provides disability benefits to cover lost wages for workers who are unable to work due to their injury. Workers who cannot work in any capacity due to their injury can often recovery temporary total disability (TTD) benefits. These benefits usually represent to two-thirds of the worker’s average weekly wage, up to a state maximum, and endure until the worker has recovered sufficiently to return to work or achieves maximum medical improvement.

For workers who can return to work but only in a limited capacity or part-time, temporary partial disability (TPD) benefits may be available. TPD benefits provide 50% of the difference between the employee’s regular wages and the reduced wages they can earn while injured. When a window washer suffers permanent impairment due to a workplace accident, they may be eligible for permanent partial disability (PPD) or permanent total disability (PTD) benefits, depending on the extent of their injury. These benefits aim to provide long-term financial support to help workers adjust to their altered capabilities and earning potential following a serious accident.

Tragically, some window washing accidents result in fatalities, leaving families to face both emotional and financial devastation. Under Maryland’s workers’ compensation laws, families of workers who are killed on the job may be eligible for death benefits. Death benefits are intended to provide financial support to dependents, such as a spouse, children, or other family members who relied on the deceased worker’s income. These benefits typically cover funeral and burial expenses, as well as a portion of the deceased worker’s average weekly wage to help replace the lost income. The benefits are generally distributed to dependents according to a priority system outlined under Maryland law, ensuring that immediate family members receive compensation first.

Additionally, surviving dependents may be eligible to receive two-thirds of the deceased worker’s average weekly wage up to the state’s maximum cap. The duration of these benefits varies based on the level of dependency.

Window washing accidents can lead to devastating injuries that impact every aspect of a worker’s life. If you or a loved one sustained harm in a window washing accident, you should talk to an attorney about what benefits may be available. The seasoned Prince George’s County workers’ compensation attorneys of Foran & Foran, P.A. can evaluate your case and aid you in pursuing the best results possible. Our office is located in Greenbelt, Maryland, and we represent people in workers’ compensation claims in Hyattsville, Waldorf, Bowie, Upper Marlboro, Rockville, Silver Spring, La Plata, and other cities in Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Charles County, and all counties in the State of Maryland. You can arrange a confidential and free meeting by using our form online or by calling us at (301) 441-2022.