Construction is one of the most dangerous industries in the nation. Workers are constantly at risk of suffering severe, potentially life-threatening injuries. No matter what precautions workers take, they could still wind up seriously hurt and unable to work for days, weeks or more. If you or someone you love was injured in a construction accident, you should seriously consider contacting an Albany construction accident lawyer to review all possible legal options. A lawyer can help pursue compensation for medical bills, lost wages and other damages. The attorneys at Roden Law are prepared to take on many types of construction accident cases, including those involving personal injury lawsuits, workers’ compensation and wrongful death. We understand the complexities of these cases and what it takes to be successful.
Your consultation with our attorneys is 100 percent free and you will not be charged for our services unless you are compensated.
Schedule a free consultation today: 1-844-RESULTS.
Types of Injuries From Construction Accidents
There are many different types of construction sites where workers are performing a variety of activities. This means workers are at risk for a variety of injuries, including:
- Head injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Loss of vision
- Hearing damage
- Severe burns
- Lacerations
- Internal damage
- Diseases caused by exposure to toxic chemicals
- Shoulder injuries
- Torn ligaments
- Sprains and strains
- Broken bones
- Back injuries
- Lost limbs
These injuries can occur in a variety of situations and have a variety of causes, such as:
- Slip, trip or fall accidents
- Electrocutions
- Scaffolding collapses
- Malfunctioning machinery
- Explosions
- Unsafe ladders
- Poor training of staff
- Wet or icy conditions at the work site
- Demolition
- Walking away from a partially completed job
- Poor supervision
- Motor vehicle crashes
- Forklift accidents
- Getting hit by machinery or falling objects
- Malfunctioning safety equipment
- Trench collapses
- Failure to warn employees about the dangers of an activity
- Exposed electrical wiring
If you suffered these or any other injuries on a construction site, contact our law offices today. We represent employees and non-employees who were injured on construction sites.
Our lawyers are prepared to pursue compensation for all your damages, which could include:
- Medical bills
- Cost of hiring a caregiver
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Pain and suffering
- Lost earning capacity
- Permanent disability or disfigurement
- Rehabilitation
- Vocational training if you need to find a different kind of job
Contact an Albany construction accident lawyer today for a free consultation.
What To Do After a Construction Accident
Seek immediate medical treatment if you suffer an injury at a construction site. If it is a severe injury, call 9-1-1 so an ambulance can come and paramedics can assess the situation and get you the appropriate medical care.
No matter how minor you think an injury is, err on the side of caution and seek treatment. It might be more serious than you think and seeking immediate medical care shows the seriousness of your situation. This is important when you file a claim for compensation. If you wait to seek treatment, the other side may argue that you are lying or are not as hurt as you claim.
Once you begin seeking treatment, notify your supervisor. If you are not a construction worker, inform someone from the construction site about what happened, such as the project manager or supervisor. This way they will be required to file an incident report.
If there are any witnesses, talk to them about what they saw and take notes. Get their contact information for future reference. Our Albany construction accident lawyers may need to contact them to ask more questions.
Do not go back to work until the doctor says you can. Do not make a statement to your employer or the at-fault party until you contact an attorney. You should also not sign any authorization to release old medical records. Insurers and other at-fault parties will try to use those records to assert that you have a preexisting medical issue and were not hurt at the construction site.
You should strongly consider meeting with an Albany construction accident lawyer for a free consultation. You may have legal options.
Call Roden Law right now at 1-844-RESULTS.
Types of Construction Accident Cases
There are many ways to pursue compensation for a construction accident, depending on the circumstances of the accident.
The Albany construction accident lawyers at Roden Law will use all available options to pursue the compensation you are entitled. This may include:
Workers’ Compensation Claims
Generally, if an employee suffers an injury while working, he or she must file a workers’ compensation claim to obtain compensation. Georgia prohibits injured employees from suing their employers for these injuries.
An Albany workers’ compensation attorney at Roden Law can manage every aspect of your claim. He or she will also be prepared to appeal your claim if it is denied or you do not receive all the benefits you are entitled.
Workers’ compensation covers your medical expenses and lost wages or earning capacity caused by your injury. There are limits to how long you can receive benefits, unless you are completely permanently disabled.
In a workers’ compensation claim, you do not need to prove negligence occurred. If you can prove the injury occurred in the course of your employment, it will probably be covered.
Personal Injury/Third-Party Lawsuit
If you were injured in a construction accident and you are not an employee of that construction site, you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit. You must prove the accident and your injury were a result of negligence to obtain compensation.
There are situations when employees can file personal injury lawsuits over a construction accident injury. For example, if another party besides your employer contributed to the accident you may be able to sue them. You might be able to also sue a contractor or general contractor.
Our Albany construction accident attorneys must establish the four elements of negligence to recover compensation. The four elements include:
- Duty of care – You must establish the at-fault party owed you a legal obligation to ensure your safety. This means taking reasonable steps to help prevent an injury.
- Breach of duty of care – You must provide evidence that the at-fault party did not take reasonable steps to ensure your safety. People can also breach the duty of care by taking reckless or careless actions.
- Link between the breach and your injuries – There must be a causal link between the breach of the duty of care and your injuries. In other words, your Albany construction accident lawyer must prove your injury would not have occurred unless the duty of care was breached.
- Damages – Your lawyer must show your injuries resulted in damages, such as medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering. If there are no damages, there is no basis for a claim.
Wrongful Death Lawsuits
Some construction injuries result in death for the victim. When this happens, surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death lawsuit to recover compensation for the damages they have suffered. This could include funeral bills, burial expenses, loss of companionship and lost financial support.
The Albany wrongful death lawyers at Roden Law understand the complexities and challenges of these cases. We are prepared to pursue fair compensation for the variety of damages suffered.
Contact an attorney from Roden Law to discuss your construction accident.
Parties Who Can Be Held Liable for Construction Accidents
There are many parties that could be held liable for an injury suffered in a construction accident. This could include:
- General contractors or subcontractors – General contractors or subcontractors are often in control of a construction site. This means they are legally obligated to ensure the construction site is safe. There is also a legal obligation to provide sufficient warning about the hazards at the construction site. Contractors must comply with all regulations from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). This includes hiring competent employees to work at the site.
- Prime contractors – These individuals are responsible for the work outlined in their contract. This also includes any assignments the contractor delegates to subcontractors or workers under his or her control. If you were injured doing a job overseen by a prime contractor or one of his or her subcontractors, the prime contractor could be held liable. Courts will carefully review the situation to determine who had control of the site and the degree of control over work done on the site.
- Engineers, architects and other design professionals – If you were injured because plans for the construction site were defective or dangerous, engineers or architects who designed them could potentially be held liable. Courts will likely review the engineer or architect’s contract to determine the safety precautions he or she was required to follow when coming up with plans.
- Manufacturers and suppliers – Sometimes no one at the site is at fault because the accident was the result of faulty or defective machinery or other products. This could include safety equipment, tools or machinery. If your Albany construction accident lawyer can prove these products were unreasonably unsafe, the manufacturer or supplier could potentially be held liable.
Your Albany construction accident attorney can review the situation to determine all parties that could be held liable for your injury. If we cannot prove another party is liable, there will be no basis for a lawsuit.
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How Long Do I Have To Pursue Compensation?
You should always report your injury to your supervisor right away. OSHA requires construction sites to keep a log of any accidents that happen to workers, employees, visitors or people passing by the site.
This is a crucial piece of evidence in your construction accident claim so make sure to report your injury. This log serves as an official record of what happened and helps link the injury to the construction site. If the injury is not reported, the at-fault party could successfully argue you did not suffer an injury because nothing was reported. This makes it much more difficult for your Albany construction accident lawyer to pursue compensation.
If you are filing a workers’ compensation claim, you must do so within one year of your injury, according to Georgia workers’ compensation laws. Otherwise, you lose the right to file a workers’ compensation claim.
If you are filing a personal injury lawsuit, you have two years from the date of your injury to do so. This is the personal injury statute of limitations.
The deadline for wrongful death lawsuits is two years from the date of the negligent action that led to your loved one’s death. This means the deadline could be less than two years from the date of your loved one’s death. For example, your loved one could have suffered a serious injury that resulted in his or her death weeks or months later. However, the statute of limitations will still run out within two years of the negligent act.
The Albany construction accident lawyers at our firm have detailed knowledge of these laws. We can quickly determine how long you have to pursue compensation. If you have a viable case, we will ensure it gets filed before the applicable deadline passes.
This is tough to file a claim on your own, whether you are recovering from an injury or dealing with the death of a loved one. Having an attorney working with you allows you to focus on what is most important. Our attorneys can manage the legal process for you, and we will not charge unless you are compensated.
Call Roden Law to talk to an Albany construction accident attorney. 1-844-RESULTS
Schedule a Free Consultation With an Albany Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction is dangerous, but that does not mean all injuries are just a risk of the job. Some were caused by another’s negligence, and that means victims are entitled to compensation for physical, financial and emotional damages.
The legal process is very complicated and difficult to understand. This is where it helps to have an Albany construction accident attorney at your side.
An experienced lawyer can fight for your best interests, as the at-fault party and their lawyers attempt to avoid responsibility or pay out less compensation than you deserve.
At Roden Law, injury victims are entitled to a free, no obligation legal consultation and are not charged for our services unless they are compensated.