Construction is a dangerous field of work. Because of this, catastrophic injuries are common results while working on the job. Despite the commonality of serious and even fatal injuries taking place in the construction industry every day, the construction industry continues to be one of the top employers for workers in the United States, leaving hundreds of thousands of workers across the nation vulnerable to catastrophic injury on a day-to-day basis. If you have been injured in a construction work-related accident, a DC construction accident lawyer may be able to pursue compensation through legal action.
Types of Construction Injuries
Some of the most common types of construction accidents include the following:
- Construction site falls
- Crane accidents
- Scaffolding accidents
- Operative equipment failures
- Electrical accidents
- Trench collapse
- Fires and explosions
- Welding accidents
Each of these types of injuries can be avoided through effective safety measures. When you or a loved one suffered a spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury, or another catastrophic injury in a construction accident, the laws of the state you live may provide channels for you to seek compensation. Contact The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm for a free legal consultation about what your rights are following a serious injury on a construction site.
Sources of Compensation for Workers with Spinal Cord Injuries
The two main channels for construction accident catastrophic injury compensation are worker’s compensation and personal injury cases. In all 50 states, there is some form of a worker’s compensation system. Under a worker’s compensation system, if an employee is injured while working, the employee is legally entitled to receiving compensation for their injuries. Worker’s compensation provides finances to injured workers whether or not they acted negligently. The main benefit of utilizing the worker’s compensation system is minimizing the amount of legal action taken against the employer or equipment manufacturer. However, the main disadvantage is that less compensation is typically received through worker’s compensation systems than through personal injury cases.
The second channel for receiving compensation for a construction-related injury is a personal injury case. Through a personal injury case, a legal team may request compensation from direct employers, subcontractors, equipment manufacturers, and other work-related entities. Successful personal injury cases typically are for workers who did not act negligently leading up to the injury.
In a personal injury case, many different entities can be held at fault, such as an equipment manufacturer being held liable for defective equipment and an employer not following proper safety protocols for their workers. The main benefit of a personal injury case is that many different entities can be held liable for an injury, meaning that this avenue typically leads to more compensation than utilizing worker’s compensation. This is because personal injury case compensation can come from several different entities, while worker’s compensation only comes from the direct employer.
Personal injury cases may also benefit workers that are not protected under their own state’s worker’s compensation systems. Since worker’s compensation systems vary from state to state, there is no guarantee that every worker in every state gets ample compensation through worker’s compensation. The main disadvantage of a personal injury case is that personal injury cases can be complicated and difficult to navigate. However, with an experienced DC construction accident attorney, personal injury cases can be incredibly useful for injured workers. Successful personal injury cases can provide compensation for the injured worker’s past and future medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering, among other things.
Non-Worker Personal Injury Cases
Workers are not the only people who are injured at construction sites across the nation. Different construction related-injuries take place across the United States every day, such as falling debris hitting a pedestrian and the lack of road signs for road construction leading to a car accident. If you suffered a spinal cord injury or another catastrophic injury on a construction site, but were not working at the time of your injury, you may be entitled to receiving compensation through a personal injury case. Our experienced DC jobsite injury legal team can prove liability or negligence on the part of a construction company or a particular construction worker. If a construction company or entity is found to be liable or negligent for the non-worker spinal cord injury, the injured party may be able to receive ample compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering.
Contact Us Today
Construction injuries are all too common in the United States due to the prevalence of construction jobs and projects across the nation. If you or a loved one has experienced a catastrophic injury on the job or off the job, contact The Spinal Cord Injury Law Firm at 1-877-SCI-FIRM for a free consultation regarding what legal action you may be able to take.
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