Construction Accident

Construction Accident Lawyer

The construction profession is naturally one of the most dangerous professions. Every year there are thousands of worker injuries and deaths due to construction site accidents. Construction injuries can be some of the most painful and intense. Additionally, with a long road to recovery, you and your loved ones may require significant compensation from those responsible. There might be a loss of income, medical costs, pain and suffering, and more. If you or a loved one suffer injury in a construction accident, contact the construction accident lawyers at Dunk Law Firm for a complimentary case consultation.

What Are the Fatal Four of Construction Accidents?

Out of 4,674 employee fatalities that took place nationwide in 2017, nearly 1,000 of them (or roughly 20%) took place in the construction industry. To put it another way, 1 in 5 job-related deaths annually occur on a construction site. These are scary statistics and they indicate a serious problem when it pertains to construction accident injuries and death.

The leading causes of employee fatalities in the construction industry are:

• slip and falls
• struck by object
• electrocution
• caught-in between

These common causes of construction accidents and injuries are called the Fatal Four. These causes are responsible for nearly 60% of worker deaths in the construction industry.

Additionally, while not on the list of four, work zone freeway accidents are also quite common. There are many safety campaigns to address this ongoing problem. In addition to criminal penalties, when a driver strikes a worker, there will generally be a civil case as well.

Do Construction Accidents Cause Serious Injuries Often?

In some instances, the true effects of an accident might take some time to reveal themselves. Some injuries become considerably worse as days and even weeks pass. What may appear minor while at work may in fact be a serious, potentially life-long injury. Occasionally adrenaline masks injuries or they simply take time to develop.

In other situations, a routine injury may be exacerbated or worsened throughout the course of treatment. For instance, an infection developing during or after surgery, or a greater muscle tear occurring during rehabilitation. Injured workers are protected in these events by the laws but they are expected to actively seek relief from their injuries. Consulting with a personal injury attorney early can help protect your rights and enable you to recover your damages.

That being said, construction accidents can cause serious or devastating injuries, such as:

• Fractures requiring surgery
• Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
• Spinal cord injuries that cause a worker to become a paraplegic or quadriplegic
• Electrocution
• Burns
• Eye injuries that result in long-term vision impairment or loss of sight
• Death

Our construction accident lawyers are here to help you receive compensation and we provide our services at no cost unless we win.

What Are the Top 10 Most Common Safety Infractions at Construction Sites?

The following is a list of the most common health and safety infractions on construction sites. These violations can cause accidents and injuries that put workers' health and lives in danger. Commonly these infractions are found after an inspection of the worksite by OSHA.

OSHA releases this type of information to help avoid injuries, illnesses, and deaths on job sites. These incidents are easy to avoid when you follow safety guidelines.

The 10 most common construction infractions are:

• Failing to use fall protection equipment
• Failure to communicate hazard material information
• Dangerous scaffolding
• Lack of respiratory protection
• Dangerous power or energy supply on site
• Dangerous ladders
• Industrial trucks not complying with guidelines
• Not adhering to fall protection standards
• Ignoring machinery safety guidelines
• Lack of appropriate eye and face protection

Should You Ask for a Free Construction Accident Case Consultation?

Under the law, an injured worker has the right to file and collect workers compensation benefits for injuries on the job.

Along with workers' compensation benefits, an injured construction worker can also have a third-party negligence claim. The case could be against a contractor, subcontractor, equipment manufacturer, or other person or business. There can be a third-party claim as long as the at fault party is not the employer or co-worker of the injured or deceased person. Generally, these kinds of cases involve either general negligence in maintaining safe working conditions, or products liability for negligently managed or manufactured equipment or vehicles.

For instance, if a construction casualty or injury is due to a crane that was developed with defective or recalled parts, the manufacturer of the crane could be responsible. Here, victims can get reimbursement to pay for their damages with a third-party lawsuit.

An additional example of a construction site injury third-party claim might be: a subcontractor assembles scaffolding which another company's employee will use to conduct his work. Further, the subcontractor neglects to ensure that the screws holding the scaffolding are secure, causing the scaffolding to collapse. If the employee suffers an injury in this sort of construction accident, the subcontractor can be liable for the worker's injuries. This, because the worker was not an employee of the subcontractor.

What Are the Statutes of Limitations on Construction Site Injuries?

There are time limitations from the date of the accident to submit a construction negligence lawsuit. These time limits differ depending on who was responsible for your accident (like your employer or a third-party, as discussed above).

If a local government, like the city, county, or school district is responsible for your injury, the statute of limitations is 1 year from the date of the construction accident.

When a private individual negligently supervises a construction job and you suffer injury, the statute of limitations is 4 years from the date of the construction accident.

If the reason for your construction injury is more general, like unsafe working conditions, then the statute of limitations is 2 years from the date of the construction accident.

Typically, to be safe and avoid any issues, a construction injury attorney will submit a lawsuit within 2 years from the date of accident.

If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a construction accident, an accident lawyer should be consulted as quickly as possible to assess your case and to protect your rights. Your construction accident attorney will examine the cause of the accident, the extent of injuries and the responsible parties.

If the facts of your construction accident case do not require a third-party negligence claim, you or your family still have a right to receive workers' compensation benefits.

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