Working on a construction site can be incredibly dangerous. Heavy machinery, fast moving traffic, excessive heights and unsure footing can all pose a threat. And those who are hurt on the job at a construction site can experience significant, long-lasting harm that knocks them out of work, leaves them with excessive medical bills and forces them to face physical mobility and sometimes mental health issues. The risks these workers face include:
- Falls off of roofs, ladders and scaffolding, which results in a significant amount of construction workplace accidents.
- Injuries caused by falling tools or construction debris that can cause head and spinal cord injuries.
- Injuries caused by moving objects like vehicles, cranes, forklifts and other pieces of heavy machinery.
- Lacerations and amputations caused by moving machinery.
- Trench collapses that bury construction workers.
- Electrical shock from power lines and faulty construction equipment.
And the injuries suffered in these accidents can be severe. Several construction workers experience traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, eye injuries, ear injuries and mental health challenges, including the onset of post-traumatic stress disorder. While these conditions can wreak havoc on your everyday life and make it difficult to get by on a daily basis, help may be available.
What should you do if you’ve been hurt in a construction accident?
If you’ve been hurt on the job at a construction site, then you need to act now to preserve your right to compensation. Your first step is to consider whether you can qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. Here, you don’t have to prove any sort of fault. Instead, you just have to show that your injury or illness was developed at work due to your job duties.
To succeed on one of these claims, you’ll need evidence that demonstrates how your injury or illness was caused, as well as medical records demonstrating the nature and extent of your harm. Remember, you’ll have to show that your condition is severe enough to prevent you from working.
Another option you should consider is a third-party liability claim. This is independent from a workers’ compensation claim, meaning that you can file both if circumstances allow. Here, you argue that someone other than your employer was responsible for the accident and thus your injuries. For example, if you were struck by a passing vehicle while working road construction, then you might have a claim for workers’ compensation and a third-party liability claim against the negligent worker who struck you.
If successful on this claim, you can recover additional compensation to offset the pain and suffering, lost wages and medical expenses with which you’ve been hit. Again, here you’ll need compelling evidence, such as witness accounts, that detail how the incident occurred and specifies how the third-party caused your injuries. You’ll want to be as comprehensive as possible here.
Act on your legal options after a construction workplace injury
We know that navigating the aftermath of your construction accident can be tough. The pain and suffering might be more than you can bear, the emotional trauma caused to you can be invasive, and the financial ramifications of your accident can be debilitating. But don’t let your current circumstances define your future. Instead, take control of your life and your future by considering your legal options and aggressively acting on them. Only then can you rest assured that you’ve done everything you can to protect your interests and build the foundation for the recovery that you need.