Construction Accident Law Firm
Construction sites and construction work is dangerous by nature, and construction accidents can lead to some of the most devastating injuries.
Injuries that are life-altering, life-threatening, or even fatal can all occur on construction sites or similar types of workplaces.
Construction work is dangerous for many reasons.
It often takes place in hazardous or precarious conditions on worksites with lots of large or sharp tools, equipment, structures, and materials that can all prove deadly if misused or faulty.
Whether the construction site is for a small building, home, a large high rise, or office complex, it is equally difficult and dangerous and there are often several different types of construction and therefore ways to become injured happening at any given time.
If proper safety measures and precautions are not taken on a construction site, severe injuries or even death can result.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 200,000 construction site accidents in 2019 and over 1,000 deaths.
The rate of deaths for construction workers was 9.7 per 100,000, which makes construction one of the most dangerous professions that a person can have.
The most common types of construction accidents are being struck by equipment or vehicles such as cranes, electrical-related injuries or electrocutions, falls from scaffolding, roofs, and high places, slip and falls, and trenching and excavation related injuries.
Furthermore, construction workers frequently have families who depend on them for support, and these families can be devastated if their breadwinner is injured, killed, or otherwise rendered unable to work to support them.
Working with personal injury attorneys who has experience handling the aftermath of construction accidents and associated injuries can help protect your rights and protect you and your family financially.
The experienced and established construction accident lawyers at Zayed Law Offices can help guide you to recover damages and get compensation for your injuries during a difficult time in your life.
Types of Construction Accidents
While construction work is a proven dangerous occupation and there is a multitude of ways that a construction accident can occur, perhaps the most common and catastrophic types of construction injuries include but are not limited to:
- Crane accidents
- Hoist accidents
- Collapsed structures
- Poisoning or toxic substance spills or exposure
- Falls from significant heights
- Slip and falls
- Defective or faulty products
- Defective or faulty equipment
- Fires and explosions
- Scaffolding accidents
All of the above types of construction accidents can lead to severe and life-altering injuries or even death.
However, some types of construction injuries are the most commonly devastating and have their own background and precedents, including but not limited to:
Electrical Related Construction Injuries
Electrocutions are a major concern when working with or near electricity or equipment involved in heavy electrical work.
Electrical accidents can be caused by contact with power lines, the improper use of extension cords and the lack of proper protection used when working with electricity.
The types of injuries that can result from an electrical accident include cardiac arrest, thermal burns, and permanent muscle, tissue, and nerve damage.
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 350 construction workers are fatally electrocuted each year while on the job or at the workplace.
Electrical injuries or electrical workplace accidents can be prevented by a number of precautions or safety measures.
For example, overhead power lines often carry tens of thousands of volts or more, making them extremely dangerous to individuals who work in their vicinity.
When working near power lines, one should always assume they are energized or carrying electricity unless told otherwise, and even then, they should be handled with utmost care.
Overhead and ground electric lines should always be de-energized before any construction work is begun and only ladders or similar structures made of non-conductive materials such as wood or fiberglass should be used near them.
Any extension cords used in the workplace should always be 3-wire factory assembled types, along with electrical cords designed for extra-hard usage when applicable.
Falls and Workplace Accidents and Injuries
Falls are the leading cause of workplace injuries and work-related deaths in general as well as being the leading cause of workplace injuries in the construction profession.
More than 360 construction workers are killed each year as a result of falls on-site and falls account for 33% of all work-related deaths.
Slip and falls or falls on a construction site can be caused by insufficient fall protection or safety measures, misuse of ladders, and uncovered holes in walls, floors, or roofs (among other things).
Falls on a construction site can be prevented by the aforementioned safety measures, which include guardrails or safety net systems if workers are exposed to a potential fall distance of at least 6 feet or more.
Ladders should always be inspected for broken parts or faulty components prior to use, and they should always be positioned on level ground with the side rails extended approximately three feet above the landing.
Construction sites should be surveyed before work and dangerous holes should be properly marked and covered or even filled in if possible.
Motor Vehicle Accidents and Construction Accidents and Injuries
Almost 10% of all construction accident deaths are the result of workers being injured by motor vehicles or motor vehicle-powered equipment while on the job.
Objects or equipment can also fall from motor vehicles such as cranes or off of trucks or other large freight vehicles.
Trucking accidents or semi-truck accidents are also a major cause of workplace accidents and fatalities (LINK).
Motor vehicle accidents can be prevented with proper safety measures and precautions.
When using mobile construction equipment, the drivers or operators must ensure that the equipment or vehicle is indeed in safe condition before using it.
Parking brakes should also be set when stepping away from a vehicle and any loose pieces of equipment must be secured before driving in order to make sure they will not fall off and potentially cause injury.
When working on or near public or private roads, construction workers or road crews must maintain visibility by wearing reflective gear and bright yellow or orange clothing.
Traffic signs must also be used to indicate worker positioning to oncoming traffic.
Trenching and Excavation Construction Accidents and Injuries
The fatality rate for excavation workers is 112% higher than the rate for general construction workers.
Cave-ins are the most commonly feared and well-known trenching hazard, but other equally dangerous hazards such as asphyxiation due to lack of oxygen, inhalation of toxic fumes, and drowning are also serious issues.
Trenching and excavation accidents can happen because of a lack of protection for workers, a failure to properly inspect the trenching area, unsafe soil placement, and unsafe entrances and exits to the work area.
Preventing excavation and trenching injuries involves a number of safety measures and precautions.
Excavations are inherently dangerous because the areas being excavated are naturally unstable and therefore more prone to cave-ins.
Prior to breaking ground on an excavation site or trench, underground lines must be identified, traffic control must be organized, and escape plans and other emergency protocols should be tested, documented, implemented, and otherwise finalized.
Once work has begun on an excavation site, tests for low oxygen and hazardous fumes must be performed, especially if the site involves workers performing their jobs near gasoline or other potentially toxic, flammable, or hazardous substances.
Adequate ventilation and protective gear should always be provided in and around a trenching or excavation work site.
Crane Accidents and Construction Workplace Injuries
Operating a crane and working with or around cranes on construction sites holds many perils.
Objects can fall from the crane causing damage to scaffolding and subsequent injuries, the vehicle piloting the crane can be improperly operated or malfunction, or a number of problems can arise when a crane is being deployed on a construction site.
There are approximately 44 crane accident deaths annually and many more injuries.
The main causes of crane accidents are cranes coming into contact with power lines and subsequently electrical injuries, crane overturns, falls and injuries from the impact of the crane collapsing or falling, and mechanical failure.
Scaffolding Accidents and Construction Injuries
Scaffolding failures and the injuries that can result from falls from scaffolding or scaffolding collapses are some of the most serious and devastating construction site injuries.
When scaffolding fails or a worker falls from scaffolding, severe injuries including paralysis or even a wrongful death can result.
If you or a loved one has been injured as a result of a scaffolding collapse, fall, or similar failure, the employer, owner of the company that provided or built the scaffolding, or another party responsible for maintaining workplace safety standards may be at fault.
Your construction accident lawyer can help you determine all the parties responsible for the scaffolding accident and ensure that you are compensated for the harm caused.
Negligence and Scaffolding Construction Accidents
The kinds of negligent acts that lead to scaffolding negligence causing a construction accident and subsequent injury can be quite complex.
Our team of construction accident lawyers along with world-class experts work to uncover and discover the source of scaffolding negligence and therefore the parties at fault by asking the following types of questions:
- Was the scaffolding properly fastened?
- Were proper bolting and bracing techniques utilized to prevent sway?
- Was the equipment used to secure the scaffolding in good working order?
- Was the scaffolding appropriately rated for the expected weight that it would carry once the construction project was underway?
- Were there appropriate safety rails placed on and above the scaffolding?
- Were the workers using the scaffolding provided with appropriate safety lines, harnesses, and other equipment that ensured a safe and secure environment in the context of the worksite?
- Did everyone working on or around the scaffolding have appropriate safety training?
- Did the team who set up the scaffolding have the appropriate safety training and take the approved safety measures when assembling the scaffolding
- Was the scaffolding constructed correctly or was there an assembly error involved in the accident?
- Did the scaffolding collapse due to manufacturer error?
- Was the scaffolding inspected for safety at regular intervals?
- Did an object fall from the scaffolding, onto the scaffolding, or from a higher platform?
- Was electricity involved in the accident or injury?
- Was the worker(s) involved in the accident injured because a live power line came into contact with the scaffolding?
- Was the scaffolding overloaded or excessively loaded, or otherwise carrying more weight than the amount it was rated for?
Our team of construction accident lawyers has experience handling scaffolding accidents due to negligence along with other types of scaffolding construction accidents, and we have the creativity, drive, and resources to properly put your case together and get you the compensation that you deserve.
Types of Construction Injuries
There are a variety of types of injuries that can occur on a construction site, ranging from relatively minor scrapes, cuts, bruises, and bone fractures to severe damage like brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, or even death.
If you have suffered an injury on a construction site whether it is large or small, you should contact a construction accident lawyer as soon as possible after you have received medical attention.
If you, your family member, or a loved one was injured or even killed as a result of a construction accident at their workplace, a workplace accident lawyer can help you recover damages and get compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Why Do I Need a Construction Accident Lawyer?
A qualified personal injury lawyer who has experience with construction accidents such as scaffolding failures, crane accidents, and other disasters can help you determine the best next steps and how to file a lawsuit during the aftermath of a major workplace accident when you may be recovering from injuries and dealing with all of the stress, healing, and other repercussions of being severely injured.
It is especially important that you work with an attorney who has knowledge of and experience with filing lawsuits involving multiple parties in the event of a construction accident.
This is because construction accident lawsuits may involve multiple claims such as premises liability, product liability, workman's compensation, and more.
An experienced workplace accident attorney will help you sort out the parties at fault, file lawsuit(s) in the appropriate jurisdiction(s), and more importantly, help you and your family fight for the compensation that you deserve.
What Do Construction Injury Law Firms Handle?
Construction injury law firms like the team at Zayed Law Offices handle the entire process of filing a construction accident lawsuit and taking it through the settlement and trial process.
We fight for workers who have been injured due to faulty equipment, improper safety measures, and negligence. We have the creativity, expertise, drive, and resources to help you put your case together and get the compensation you deserve.
Third Party Negligence and Construction Accidents
In many types of construction accidents such as crane accidents, scaffolding accidents, and similar catastrophes, negligence or inability to take proper safety measures, have regular inspections, or another lack of action is one of the causes or the sole cause of the construction accident.
When negligence occurs and causes a construction accident or workplace injury, the parties at fault or culpable for the accident may vary.
There may be third-party negligence involved in your construction accident and this helps to determine who will be the defendants named in the subsequent lawsuit.
For instance, the manufacturer of the equipment or tools used could be at fault if said equipment or tools are faulty and malfunction on the job.
Or the contractor responsible for setting up the cranes or scaffolding being used at the site could be considered the at-fault party if those items failed due to poor set-up or improper safety measures.
The operator of a crane or other heavy construction equipment or motor vehicles could also be at fault if they did not take proper safety measures or were impaired when operating the vehicle.
If there were other construction teams or general contractors at the site, they will need to be investigated as well as the property owner, architect or company that designed the development under construction, and any number of other parties.
This is why you should contact an experienced construction accident lawyer if you suspect negligence of any kind was involved in a construction accident that you or a family member suffered.
What Does a Workplace Accident Lawyer Do?
A construction accident lawyer or workplace accident lawyer does indeed handle personal injury cases that have to do with the workplace, but if you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, then you don't want a standard personal injury law firm.
This is because many people assume that workers' compensation insurance and that system works to make injured construction workers whole and fully compensate workers and their families.
However, workplace accidents and construction accidents such as scaffolding accidents or crane accidents frequently involve the negligence of third parties including the manufacturer and corporations, companies, and other entities in addition to the worker's employer.
Therefore, if you or a family member become injured in a workplace accident at a construction site, you want to hire a construction accident lawyer with the creativity, resources, and drive like the team at Zayed Law Offices.
We'll consult with you over the phone or via virtual meetings, at your home, or even in the hospital as you recover in order to build a relationship and resolve your case with the best possible outcome for you and your loved ones, no matter how long it takes and with no obligation to pay until you recover damages.
We will make you whole and get you the compensation you deserve by fighting for your rights in the workplace and in court.
Who is at Fault in a Construction Accident?
Every party who has a duty to maintain a safe working environment may be liable (and their insurance companies) will be involved and under justifiable scrutiny in the event of a catastrophic workplace accident.
With so many factors involved in a construction accident, it is imperative that you hire a construction accident attorney who is adept at understanding the many factors involved in a viable workplace accident case.
If you suspect that you or a family member have a workplace injury claim but are not sure who is at fault or what type of case exactly, you should always contact the team of personal injury attorneys at Zayed Law Offices.
We can help you and the hardworking men and women of the construction industry along with anyone else who was injured on a job site determine if it is a workers compensation case or traditional personal injury case, or another third party was involved and you have a product liability case, a premises liability case, or another type of claim after reviewing all the facts at hand.
General and Sub-Contractors and Workplace Accidents
General contractors and sub-contractors also have a duty to maintain a safe and secure working environment.
What's more, the relationship of the injured person to the general contractor and any sub-contractors on the project is of critical importance in regard to determining the type of claim at hand.
While worker's compensation claims do not require a party to be found negligent, workers' compensation can be an incomplete system.
Moreover, if the injured person was working as an independent contractor, they might have the opportunity to file a civil action seeking a complete remedy for their injuries via the courts.
Architects and Engineers and Construction Accidents
In the event that the architects and engineers involved in any particular project have created a plan that results in a dangerous work environment, they may be liable for damages in a workplace accident claim.
Note that while sometimes architects and engineers violate safety codes in their plans but it often requires the use of experts retained by a dedicated personal injury construction accident law firm to uncover this evidence.
Manufacturers and Workplace Accidents
Defective products, tools, and equipment can all put workers at risk on job sites.
In the event that a product was manufactured improperly or the product was designed in a negligent manner, the laws of strict liability may apply.
In addition, other companies that were involved in any way throughout the supply chain may very well be liable under a construction injury lawsuit claim.
OSHA Inquiries into Construction Accidents
In the event of a construction site injury, there will likely be an OSHA investigation or OSHA inquiry which will include examining the location where the incident occurred and interviewing anyone else who was involved in or witnessed the accident.
This investigation may uncover overlapping negligence or involve additional third parties other than the construction site owner or employer of the injured worker who is potentially at fault in a construction accident claim.
Investigating a personal injury or workers' compensation claim at a construction site is always extremely time-sensitive since evidence may be moved, destroyed, or otherwise altered or damaged and eye witness testimony is dependent on people's memories, which can fade with time.
This is why you should contact a construction accident attorney as soon as possible after receiving medical attention so they can investigate your claim alongside an OSHA inquiry.
While OSHA is sometimes viewed as an impediment to productivity at job sites, you should also remember that OSHA's mandate is to ensure that all working environments are safe for the workers employed there.
Therefore, in the event of a construction site injury, it is essential to bring in OSHA to inspect the workplace, review the safety policies and procedures in place, and request information about minimum OSHA standards.
Workers of all kinds are free to invoke OSHA without fear of retaliation or reprisal.
Furthermore, in the event of a serious construction site injury, the workplace injury lawyers at Zayed Law Offices can help you or your family member file an OSHA complaint regarding an injury that happened in a potentially dangerous workplace.
An OSHA inquiry can serve as a preliminary investigation and your construction accident attorneys can work alongside OSHA in your city or state.
This not only helps your case, but enables OSHA to make a broader impact and difference in future safety standards in the workplace.
When Do I Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer?
You should hire a construction accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident at a work site or an injury that happened on the job and you have suffered injuries or damages but were not at fault.
You may be owed compensation for those damages from the at-fault parties and have a cause of action for a workplace accident lawsuit claim in addition to workers' compensation.
Dealing with insurance company representatives, OSHA representatives, your employer, and other entities or parties who may be negligent or liable after being involved in a workplace accident can be extremely stressful, especially if you or your family member are recovering from injuries sustained in the accident or even dealing with a potential wrongful death of a family member or loved one.
This is why you need to secure legal counsel in the form of a construction accident lawyer who is established in Chicago and the surrounding area as soon as possible after you've been involved in an accident in Chicago, Illinois, NYC, or elsewhere in the United States.
What's more, the longer it takes to investigate a given incident, the more likely it is that evidence is literally built over, washed away, removed, or destroyed, or people's memories fade and eyewitnesses become less reliable.
So, working with a construction accident attorney right away helps you get out in front of potential problems and ensure that you recover the compensation that you are owed from any liable parties, their insurance carriers and any other entities that may be involved in your case.
Where Do I Hire a Construction Accident Attorney in Chicago? In NYC?
If you or a loved one were in a workplace accident on a construction job site in Chicago or NYC and you need a personal injury attorney because you were not at fault and suffered damages, then contact the experienced construction accident lawyers at Zayed Law Offices as soon as possible after you or they have received appropriate medical attention.
It is important to seek legal counsel during the aftermath of a major construction accident because insurance companies pay, on average, almost triple the original or established amounts in cases where the victim is represented by a lawyer, and many construction accidents involve factors above and beyond those handled by OSHA and workers' compensation insurance.
Therefore, it is essential to contact a workplace accident lawyer as soon as possible after an accident so that they have the best possible opportunity to work with OSHA and track down any and all witnesses and investigate key evidence before it is purposefully or inadvertently destroyed.
Furthermore, if a construction or development company or contractor, architecture firm, or engineering firm and therefore their insurance providers are involved, things can get even more complicated since more parties and large companies are involved.
This makes it especially essential to engage the services of a personal injury attorney who has experience handling construction accident cases as soon as possible after an incident, even if you are not sure what type of claim you have or exactly which entities are at fault.
How Much is a Construction Accident Lawsuit Worth?
Based on available reports and other public data, construction site accidents can be worth in the hundreds of thousands or even millions.
Keep in mind that amounts vary according to the circumstances and details of a given case.
Always consult with a personal injury attorney familiar with these types of cases before considering the value of your particular construction accident lawsuit case.
Under current Illinois law, the plaintiff in a construction accident lawsuit can pursue compensation for losses including but not limited to…
- Current and future medical costs include but are not limited to hospital visits, doctor's appointments, physical therapy, ambulance fees, and other related costs for medical care necessary to recover from construction accident injuries. This can include future costs of care as well, which is particularly valid in the case of catastrophic injuries such as the loss of a limb or limbs or paralysis, or other permanent disfigurements
- Pain and suffering or the emotional distress and anguish that result from the construction accident, including the costs of mental care for post-traumatic stress disorder or similar conditions that were caused by the workplace accident
- Lost wages from missing work due to injuries from the construction accident, which can be one of the most financially devastating aspects of being involved in a workplace accident
- Loss of future income due to injuries from the workplace accident, including disfigurement, loss of limbs, paralysis, or other physical or mental impairment that may have occurred as a direct result of the car crash
If you or a loved one were involved in a construction accident of any kind and you believe that you have a personal injury case and are owed damages, contact a workplace accident lawyer as soon as possible.
We are here to assist you throughout the entire process and we will fight for your rights in court.
Statute of Limitations on Construction Accidents
In the state of Illinois, the time limit or statute of limitations for personal injury cases due to workplace accidents is four years from the date that the incident occurred.
If a construction accident victim or their family members (in the case of wrongful death) fails to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent or at-fault party or parties within this two-year window, they will be unable to recover the compensation they may deserve.
Securing legal counsel as quickly as possible after being involved in a workplace accident is essential if you hope to recover damages and receive compensation.
Construction Accident Damages and Settlements
The value of a construction accident case involving workers' compensation or any other parties depends on the damages caused and the extent of harm incurred by the victim or victims.
Damages can be recovered or settlements made for a number of reasons, including but not limited to:
- Disability due to injuries from the accident
- Current or immediate medical bills
- Future medical bills
- Loss of earnings or wages (in the present)
- Loss of earning capacity in the future (in the event of a disability or catastrophic injury, or wrongful death)
- Emotional distress
- Pain and suffering
- Personal property damage or destruction
After being involved in a workplace accident, you or your family member may have experienced significant discomfort, pain, injury, inconvenience, or catastrophic damage to your person such as the loss of a limb(s) or paralysis, or other permanent disfigurements.
You may have missed and may continue to miss significant amounts of work or may even no longer be able to work in your previous capacity.
Construction site accidents may even involve catastrophic injury or fatalities for the driver or their passengers, which could lead to a wrongful death lawsuit.
Contact our Chicago wrongful death attorneys to learn more about filing a wrongful death case.
Filing a lawsuit against the negligent parties and their insurance providers (if applicable) after a construction accident is a way of recovering or recouping the loss or damages for the accident and ensuring that medical bills, loss of income, and other pain and suffering that occurred as a result of the accident are taken care of as best allowed by the United States legal system.
Construction Accident Trials
While a workplace accident lawsuit case may be settled out of court for a monetary amount agreed upon by both the defendant and plaintiff and their lawyers, a claim may go to trial if a satisfactory settlement cannot be reached.
Construction accident lawsuits go to trial due to a number of reasons.
For instance, if the negligent party or parties are determined to be at fault but their insurance won't acknowledge the fault of the policyholder, the case may be taken to trial to enable a judge and jury to decide if damages should be awarded and in what amounts.
Fatalities and Wrongful Deaths on Construction Sites
If you have lost a loved one in a construction accident, you may have grounds or a cause of action for a wrongful death lawsuit.
While no amount of money or financial recovery will ever fully assuage your grief, you have the right to compensation.
Working with a construction accident lawyer who has experience handling wrongful death cases against construction companies, contractors, builders, and similar entities can help you recover costs for medical bills, loss of income, loss of companionship, and pain and suffering.
Navigating the complexities of workplace accident and workers' compensation claims and wrongful death lawsuits and ensuring that appropriate at-fault parties and their insurance companies pay the full settlement or damages owed is a job for a construction accident lawyer, so if you believe you may have a workplace accident wrongful death case, contact the personal injury attorneys at Zayed Law Offices as soon as possible.
What Should I Do During a Construction Accident Lawsuit?
One of the vital aspects of successfully navigating the complicated legal system during a construction accident claim or any other case is to avoid direct contact or outright accusations towards any party or their insurance provider, their associates, OSHA, or anyone else involved in the incident.
Prior to bringing up a workplace accident lawsuit, be sure to request your medical records and OSHA records.
You'll need to consult with an experienced personal injury lawyer to review the records, investigate the claims, and get guidance as to your potential cause of action, appropriate jurisdiction to file a lawsuit, the party or parties at fault, and other details.
All communication with the defendants or potential defendants during a construction accident case should be through your attorney.
Our Construction Accident Lawyers are Here to Help
At Zayed Law Offices, our first and foremost goal is to protect the rights of the injured.
If you or a loved one have been in a construction accident and you have questions about personal injury lawsuits or workers' compensation, we can help you understand the associated legislation, precedents, and statutes.
We can help you recover compensation for your medical bills and pain and suffering and help you understand how to pursue a personal injury case.
We'll assist you in discovering how you have a cause of action to file a legal claim against the person or persons who were at fault in your accident and the companies or contractors they were working for at the time, or the manufacturers who designed and produced any fault or malfunctioning equipment that was involved in the incident.
We know that a construction accident can be a catastrophic and traumatic event that affects you, your family, and your career in many complicated and devastating ways.
Furthermore, the effects of being in a construction accident can last for many years into the future, affecting your health, medical costs, current or future income, and even your family's future if you lose earning capacity or the ability to care for yourself.
What's more, if you've lost a loved one to a workplace fatality, you deserve a settlement and to deal with the grieving process as best you can without the extra stress of dealing with insurance companies, your loved one's former employer, and other third parties.
All of the above reasons are why you should work with a personal injury attorney who has experience dealing with construction accidents and the associated injuries who can help you recover costs for pain and suffering, loss of earnings, loss of earning capacity, medical bills, disability, and emotional distress.
Have you been in a construction accident and need a workplace accident lawyer to help you sue for damages?
We welcome the opportunity to speak with you about your legal situation and help you determine the next steps.
Please contact Zayed Law Offices in Chicago and schedule a free case review and confidential initial consultation by completing our short contact form.
We'll schedule a time that is convenient for you and please note that you will not pay lawyer's fees unless we recover compensation for you.
Construction Accident Lawyers
Zayed Law Offices provides a professional team to assist you in getting the case results you deserve.
Contact a personal injury lawyer to receive your free consultation.