Can I File a Lawsuit for Construction Site Accidents?
Construction companies are required to follow all safety guidelines from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). Per these rules, employers must provide proper safety equipment for construction workers, service machinery regularly and take other steps to ensure that a construction site is as safe as possible. When contractors and other companies neglect these rules, which happens all too frequently, construction sites may become inherently dangerous. However, this does not mean injured workers should just accept the risk and injuries of construction accidents without recourse.
After a construction site accident, you may be able to collect compensation through a workers compensation claim against your employer. If another company or person caused your injuries, then you could also file a personal injury lawsuit against this third party. At Riddle & Brantley, we have two North Carolina State Bar Certified Specialists in Workers’ Compensation ready to help you. Our Goldsboro construction accident lawyers have a history of success with complex workers comp and third party claims. In one case, our legal team obtained a settlement of $2.475 million for a welder who fell from a construction platform and sustained a disabling brain injury. This case took several years to resolve. Our bilingual staff members were invaluable in coordinating our efforts with the victim, an undocumented worker, and his family, who were all Spanish-speakers.
What are Common Injuries at Construction Sites?
Working on a construction site can be dangerous to workers for several reasons. Unfortunately, many serious injuries that occur at these workplaces are the result of negligent safety practices or simply from a lack of supervision from the employer. These oversights can result in serious injuries to workers. A construction site injury can have life changing consequences for not only the victim, but also for his or her family and other dependents.
Some of the most common types of construction accident injuries include:
- Hearing loss
- Burn injuries
- Broken or crushed bones
- Brain injuries
- Concussions
- Neck injuries
- Loss of limb
- Spinal cord injuries
- Eye injuries
- Serious lacerations
- Serious head injuries
After a construction site accident, you should seek medical attention immediately. If your injury occurred while on the job, then you must report your injury to your employer within a reasonable period of time. Still, most construction site injuries are serious and the employer has notice of the accident and injuries. Then, contact a Goldsboro personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. In most cases, you should be entitled to workers compensation.
However, work injury compensation claims can be difficult to negotiate. Often, the employer’s insurance company offers much less in compensation than you may qualify to receive, especially if you are unable to return to your old job. Additionally, you may be able to file a third party claim against another company, depending on the circumstances of your accident. Our team of highly trained construction accident lawyers have decades of experience handling these types of claims and can explain your legal options in honest, simple terms.
How Can a Construction Injury Attorney Help with My Claim?
Construction sites are often busy, crowded places, often with several contractors and other companies working side by side. When something goes wrong, accidents happen and workers get seriously injured. Victims may not even know what happened or who is responsible for their injuries. For example:
- Did a crane fail because of a manufacturing defect, operator error, or because the crane owner failed to maintain the machinery?
- Is your employer responsible for your scaffolding accident fall or the subcontractor who failed to install the scaffolding properly?
One difficulty with construction site accident cases is that you generally cannot file a lawsuit against your employer. Workers compensation laws generally require employers to carry insurance covering injuries sustained by employees, regardless of fault and with very few exceptions. This allows workers hurt on the job to recover compensation more quickly and without consideration of fault. However, these same laws also bar workers from filing regular personal injury claims against insured employers in most cases. This can limit your recovery.
A qualified construction injury lawyer can investigate your accident to determine all possible sources of compensation. This may include third party claims against other companies, product liability lawsuits and/or premises liability claims against property owners.
Attorneys Chris Brantley and Adam Smith are North Carolina Board Certified Attorneys in Workers’ Compensation. They review all construction accident cases and lead our team in helping injured workers secure the full benefits they deserve. Additionally, our entire team of construction accident lawyers is skilled in handling personal injury claims against third parties. If we determine that someone other than your employer is responsible for your injuries, then we can file a separate injury claim against this party.
Construction Injury? Talk to Experienced Construction Accident Lawyers Today
At the North Carolina law offices of Riddle & Brantley, our team of lawyers has a history of success with both workers comp claims and personal injury lawsuits involving construction accidents. For more than 30 years we have been helping to protect the rights of injured workers throughout North Carolina from office locations in Goldsboro, Raleigh, Kinston and Jacksonville.
Our law firm provides comprehensive legal solutions to injured workers across the entire state, and elsewhere when needed. If you cannot come to us, then we can meet with you in your home or the hospital to discuss the specifics of your accident.
To learn more, contact us today by calling us toll free at (919) 778-9700 or contact us online. Our representatives are available in real time 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.