Pennsylvania workplace fatalities jump 9.5% as construction deaths surge

New federal data show Pennsylvania recorded 185 fatal work injuries in 2024, the highest total in at least seven years, with construction fatalities rising 60% year over year. Injury Law Partners says the trend underscores how defective equipment and unsafe jobsite conditions can open the door to claims beyond workers' compensation.

Why it matters: - Pennsylvania workers faced a higher fatality burden in 2024, with the state’s death toll reaching the highest level reported in at least seven years. - The sharp rise in construction deaths highlights risks in one of the state’s most injury-prone industries. - Defective tools, machinery, and equipment can create legal claims that sit outside workers’ compensation and may allow recovery for pain and suffering.

What happened: - Injury Law Partners, a Pittsburgh- and Philadelphia-based personal injury firm, pointed to new U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data showing 185 fatal work injuries in Pennsylvania in 2024. - That total was up 9.5% from 169 fatalities in 2023. - Construction recorded 48 fatal workplace injuries in 2024, up from 30 the year before, a 60% increase. - Falls, slips and trips made up 26% of fatal work injuries statewide. - Of the 48 fatal falls, 42 involved a fall to a lower level.

The details: - A separate BLS report covering 2023 found 115,200 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses in Pennsylvania private industry. - The 2023 nonfatal injury and illness rate was 2.6 cases per 100 full-time equivalent workers. - The national rate was 2.4. - Ben Baer, founding partner at Injury Law Partners, said many cases involve defective products, machinery, equipment, and the conduct of other contractors. - Baer said injured workers may have a civil claim against a product’s manufacturer or distributor when a defective product contributes to the injury. - Baer said workers’ compensation does not fully compensate victims because it does not cover pain and suffering or loss of enjoyment of life. - Pennsylvania applies a strict liability standard in defective product cases. - Under that standard, an injured worker does not need to prove a manufacturer was careless, only that the product was defective and caused the injury. - Injury Law Partners represents clients injured by defective products in manufacturing, construction, warehousing, utilities, and healthcare. - The firm has offices at 954 Greentree Road, Suite 2000, in Pittsburgh and 1628 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, Suite 1302, in Philadelphia. - Injury Law Partners works on a contingency fee basis, so clients pay no legal fees unless compensation is recovered. - The firm says it has recovered more than $450 million for injured clients. - The firm says its attorneys have nearly 30 years of combined experience handling complex personal injury cases.

Between the lines: - The data points to a broader workplace safety problem in Pennsylvania, not just isolated incidents. - Construction’s 60% jump suggests risk is concentrating where heavy equipment, elevated work, and subcontractor coordination can turn hazardous fast. - The legal message is clear: a workplace injury may create both a workers’ compensation claim and a separate product liability case.

What's next: - Injured workers and families may look more closely at whether defective equipment, missing guards, or failed safety mechanisms played a role in an incident. - Pennsylvania employers and contractors face renewed pressure to tighten jobsite safety practices, especially in construction. - Product liability claims tied to workplace injuries are likely to remain a focus for plaintiff firms as fatality data continues to draw attention.

The bottom line: - Pennsylvania’s rising workplace death toll is putting both jobsite safety and defective equipment claims back in the spotlight.