If you’ve been hurt on a construction site, you’re likely eligible for workers’ compensation to pay for medical bills, lost wages, and more. However, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek additional compensation from certain non-employer parties. You can also file a lawsuit if you weren’t an employee at the site but were hurt in other ways. Have you suffered a construction-related injury and want to know what your legal options are? Turn to the experienced personal injury lawyers of Stanfield Bechtel Law.
Types of Construction Accident Cases We Represent
Construction sites are inherently dangerous places, but that doesn’t mean that general contractors, property owners, and others don’t have a duty to adopt and enforce reasonable safety measures. Our dedicated personal injury team has represented injured workers and other individuals in a number of construction accident cases, including those that involve:
- Scaffolding accidents
- Falling from heights
- Slip and fall and trip and fall accidents
- Falling objects
- Structural collapses
- Ladders
- Construction equipment injuries
- Electrical, fire, and explosion injuries
- Toxic fumes and hazardous materials
- Cranes
- Brazing and welding
- Compressors
- Punch presses
- Nail guns
- Forklifts
- Elevators
- Dumpsters
Who May Be Held Liable For Construction Site Accidents?
If you were injured as an employee, you can file a workers’ compensation claim against your employer. While the workers’ compensation system doesn’t allow you to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer, there are several other parties who could be held liable for your injuries. These parties may also be responsible if you were a non-employee accident victim:
- Property owners, occupants, and managers. These entities are responsible for ensuring that safety rules are observed and worksites are kept safe. If the owner, occupant, or manager of the property permitted dangerous conditions that caused you harm, that party could be ordered to pay damages. Also, hazardous property conditions are not always directly related to the construction work being done.
- General contractors and subcontractors. General contractors are obligated to ensure that OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) rules are followed, along with state laws and local ordinances. Subcontractors owe a similar duty in making sure that basic safety rules are observed.
- Manufacturers of defective equipment and products. If you were injured because a piece of equipment or machinery was broken, defective, or didn’t include sufficient safety warnings, you may have a claim against the manufacturer. The same is true if the products you use in your work cause you injury.
- Outside parties near the construction site. Sometimes, third parties who are near or come in contact with the construction site can be liable for an accident victim’s damages. For example, road construction work often occurs in high-traffic areas. A negligent motorist who injures you may be ordered to pay for your losses.
- Engineers and architects. These individuals and the companies that employ them are responsible for ensuring the design of buildings is safe and structurally sound. In the event safety codes and design standards are not met, the victim could have a claim against the at-fault party.
- Scaffolding companies. Many construction workers are required to do their jobs high off the ground with the support of construction scaffolding. Liability may arise because of a defect with the scaffolding materials or because the scaffolding was not properly erected.
- Injuries involving pedestrians and others. Construction sites are supposed to be set apart from surrounding areas and protected so that pedestrians and others cannot wander in and get injured. Workers must also be sure they do not carelessly drop objects that could strike a pedestrian walking near a construction site.
Damages You May Be Able to Seek
Depending on the nature of your injuries, you could suffer severe medical, financial, and personal losses that negatively impact your life in many ways. For this reason, you have the right to file a personal injury claim seeking damages that can compensate you. Examples of damages are:
- Medical bills, including ambulance care, hospitalization, surgery, physical therapy and rehabilitation, adaptive medical equipment, prescription medication, and more
- Permanent disability, scarring, and disfigurement
- Lost wages for the time you miss from work recovering from your injuries or obtaining medical treatments
- Lost earning capacity if you are unable to work the same job or work at the same level of productivity as before the accident
- Pain and suffering and emotional anguish
- Wrongful death damages available to eligible survivors in the event the victim dies from his or her injuries
How Our Personal Injury Team Can Help
When you retain Stanfield Bechtel Law to represent you, we take the following steps to fight for compensation:
- Review work site safety records, including OSHA investigations, permits, citations, inspections, and related documents
- Identify any and all parties involved with the construction site who may be held liable (e.g. property owners, general contractors, and product manufacturers)
- Identify anyone not associated with the construction site who could be responsible, such as a motorist causing injury to road construction workers
- Review the records of injured workers, such as workers’ compensation filings, which could be used as evidence in a personal injury claim
- Speak to accident witnesses and obtain affidavits documenting what they observed
- Take pictures and record video of the accident site
- Obtain copies of all insurance policies from anyone who might be at fault for your injuries
Contact Our Connecticut Construction Accident Attorney
Whether you’re a construction worker or a non-employee who was injured because of construction work, you deserve to know your legal rights if you’ve been injured. Stanfield Bechtel Law can review your situation and get to work seeking the compensation you need. Reach out to us today to get started.