Job growth and expansion within the city make construction necessary. However, with the upside, there is also the risk of injury to construction workers as well as bystanders and passersby. The construction industries holds one of the highest rates of injury and death in the country, meaning the likelihood that someone will be injured is increased with every construction site that is erected.
According to OSHA, the “fatal four” leading causes of deaths on construction sites: falls, being struck by an object, electrocution or being caught or stuck in between two objects. Nearly 4 percent of all construction workers have time from work or had job restrictions or transfers due to injuries on the work site. Figures from OSHA exposed that in 2012, an overwhelming one out of every five worker fatalities was in construction.
A small percentage of your regular wages, which is generally all workers’ compensation insurance will pay, is typically not sufficient to compensate a construction injury victim for a possible lifetime of disability and loss of work. Many factors, including your employment situation and the extent to which your employer is responsible for your injuries, come into play as to the amount of compensation you are entitled to.
If your injuries will temporarily or permanently alter your way of life, either due to permanent bodily impairment or a change in your ability to work, an experienced construction accident lawyer at the Law Offices of Brent. A. Duque will advocate on your behalf to ensure that you receive the medical care and monetary compensation you are entitled to.
A construction worker working for ABC Private Electrical Contractors was on a ladder working, minding all signs and warnings were posted in the electrician’s work area, but the ladder was hit by a truck driven by 123 Plumbing Contractors when the driver was distracted. He never saw the warnings, the ladder or the electrician. As a result of the fall, the electrician suffers a serious injury.
Because 123 is a separate and distinct business entity, California law permits the electrician to bring a personal injury lawsuit against XYZ and its driver at the same time he pursues his workers’ compensation claim. This is called third party liability. Damages in the third party liability personal injury lawsuit aren’t limited like those in a workers’ compensation claim. While seeking damages in the lawsuit, the injured worker can also collect workers’ compensation benefits for purposes of paying medical bills and keeping their household and family going.
Construction workers are not the only ones who might find themselves injured or killed on or around a construction site. Others potential injury victims include motorists, pedestrians or others just going about their daily activities. A pedestrian or bystander could be hit by a falling tool or piece of construction material. A motorist using all necessary due care and caution around the site could be injured by a truck or by a heavy equipment operator. Though these passersby are independent of anybody working on the construction project, they are still permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against any companies and employees on the site that they believe were responsible for their injuries. If you have been wrongly involved and injured, we invite you to contact us as soon as you can about this.
At the Newport Beach Law Offices of Brent A. Duque, we maintain a staff of a highly professional, knowledgeable, aggressive and successful construction site accident attorneys who represent injured people through our offices that stretch across Southern California. Time limitations apply to any injury claim you might have, so for purposes of investigating a possible case and possibly preserving evidence, it’s best for you to contact us immediately after an accident.
Contact our Orange County Personal Injury Attorney at 1-877-241-9554 to learn more about your legal options. A free consultation is just a phone call away. You can even use our online contact form, and we’ll reply to you quickly.
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