Types of Construction Injuries

If you sustained injuries on a construction site, our construction injury attorneys can help you with a claim. You may have a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit. At Russell & Lazarus APC, we have experience helping people who have suffered injury on construction sites and can explain your options.

Construction Work Is Dangerous

Construction injury attorneys understand that construction work is easily one of the most dangerous occupations in the United States. Not only do construction workers perform manual labor job tasks, they are also subject to very dangerous working conditions and work equipment, depending on the type of construction job.

In addition, job sites are often in remote locations when residential construction is being performed. The scope of work settings and duties for construction workers ranges widely. This all can result in a wide of range of common construction injuries that injury attorneys have encountered. While construction injuries could potentially include any part of the worker’s body, there are some particular causes of construction accidents to which other industries may not be subjected.

Overhead Work Duties

Many construction projects require building up as well as out, and construction workers can be stationed well above the ground, often on a scaffolding system. This condition is very common with metropolitan construction jobs that are utilizing air space as well as ground space. High rise projects are some of the most dangerous undertakings, and falls therefore happen with regularity. Construction workers are vulnerable to injuries resulting from a personal fall. Moreover, there could also be falling objects at any time that could impact workers on the primary level. Being on the ground is not necessarily a safe work location either. Construction injury attorneys represent injuries from falling objects in many claims.

Defective Production Equipment

Construction workers rely on a wide selection of tools in practically every job task. Some construction equipment can still be dangerous to operate, often because of the power or precision required for adequate task completion. Several different operators generally use construction tools. Many times equipment can fail with no prior warning, which can easily result in serious injury to the operator or co-workers. This is one legal area that many injured workers do not realize when they must file a worker’s compensation claim over a construction work injury, but construction injury attorneys will understand how to investigate a work injury and reveal all potential revenue streams available for damage recovery.

Even when an employer and the worker’s compensation insurance company agree that an injury is a valid work injury, the potential for a defective product claim is still available in some situations. Insurance coverage for the worker may not be the only responsibility issue if negligence may be documented against a tool manufacturer. The law holds product manufacturers to strict liability standard for defective products, meaning you don’t need to prove negligence as in other civil tort injury claims.

Repetitive Motion Injuries

Injuries to the hands and back are some of the most common injuries that occur among construction workers. Many individuals who complete a career in construction will develop problems with both at some time. Repetitive motion disorders can prove to be difficult claims to win without a solid personal injury attorney. You need a legal professional who knows how to craft a reasonable claim that a particular injury is not the result of an accident, but a result of the worker being overworked in many employment situations.

Back injuries also often do not manifest until after a work shift is completed. Or they may only show up when work duties for an extended period of work days has been particularly taxing on certain body parts. It is always very important to seek medical treatment as soon as possible for any injury that may be work-related.

Falls on Construction Sites

As much as 35% of construction worker deaths occur due to falls. Falls can occur on a construction site due to a variety of causes, including:

• Ladders that are unstable or broken
• Slips and trips
• Lower level falls
• Collapsed scaffolds
• Slippery surfaces
• Holes in floors

Construction injury attorneys can review your site and then determine if there was a dangerous situation that should have been identified by your employer. Many times, this makes them responsible for your injuries. Their negligence may even make them liable in workers’ compensation or personal injury cases.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim

If you sustained injury at work, you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim.  Workers’ compensation is a system that does not consider fault. No matter who is to blame for your injury, if you have workers’ compensation coverage, you can get help from construction injury attorneys.

In order to find out if you have workers’ compensation coverage, you must find out if your employer had insurance. Many states require employers to have workers’ comp insurance; however, there are always exceptions. Our construction injury attorneys can request information from your employer and state government agencies to determine if you had coverage.

If you are covered, you can usually get compensation to cover the following:

• Medical expenses
• Lost wages
• Temporary disability
• Permanent disability
• Partial or total loss of use of a body part

Workers’ compensation is beneficial; however, you often can’t obtain compensation for all of your losses. You may not recover all of your lost wages, and you likely can’t recover for pain and suffering. Our construction injury attorneys can help you understand what damages you can recover.

Third Party Lawsuits

Whether you are covered by workers’ comp or not, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the person or company responsible for your injuries. If someone other than a coworker or your employer caused your injuries, construction injury attorneys can help you understand your legal options.

Defective construction equipment often lead to third party lawsuits based on product liability law. If defective machinery or other equipment on a construction site caused you harm, you can file a claim against the company that designed or manufactured them.

Defective product lawsuits on construction sites often arise from the following:

• Tools that are unreasonably dangerous
• Defective equipment
• Toxic products
• Safety products that do not protect the user

Claimants may file a third party lawsuit in conjunction with a workers’ compensation claim. By having construction injury attorneys help you file both, you subsequently have a better chance of recovering for all of your losses.

Contact an Orange County Construction Injury Attorney

It is always a good decision to consult with a professional personal injury lawyer like Russell & Lazarus APC, who are one of the most aggressive construction injury attorneys of Orange County. Call us today and let us evaluate your construction worker’s compensation claim for maximum damage recovery potential.