If you or someone you love have suffered injuries in a construction accident in Long Beach, don’t hesitate to contact the Madison Law Group today for a free case evaluation with one of our skilled Long Beach attorneys.
Careers in construction can be extremely demanding and hazardous. Workers have to be very physically strong, as well as willing to place themselves in dangerous situations that can easily go haywire. They may be required to utilize large, complicated equipment that, if mishandled, could cause serious injuries or even fatalities. For example, construction workers may need to perform complex tasks with heavy machinery while working hundreds of feet above the ground. This is a dangerous situation for anyone to become involved in, which is why proper safety equipment and provisions are vital.
Construction Accidents in California
Construction accidents are common in California and frequently cause severe injuries here. Typically, workers who sustain injuries are usually covered by workers’ compensation Insurance; however, other legal remedies are often available when a construction accident occurs due to safety violations or the negligence of a third party. If you or someone you love were injured in a construction accident due to the lack of a reasonably safe work environment or safety equipment, turn to the Madison Law Group to help you recover.
Due to the fact that workers’ compensation benefits do not cover intangible losses like pain and suffering, it is vital to enlist the aggressive representation of a skilled Long Beach construction accident lawyer from the Madison Law Group to help you fight for all of the compensation you need to move on from this situation. An experienced construction accident lawyer will be able to help you achieve a significant settlement or verdict that meets all of your needs financially. When you hire one of our lawyers, we will fight diligently to help you get the financial compensation you require to get your life back on track. Please call our office as soon as you can to get to work on your construction accident claim with one of our skilled attorneys.
What To Do If You’re Hurt On A Construction Site/Job
If you are hurt on a construction site, seeking prompt and proper medical attention for your injuries is the first and most important thing you should do. Your health and well-being should always be at the top of your priority list.
Once you have gotten the medical care needed to help you heal from your injuries, several other steps need to be taken if you wish to financially recover. Some of these include:
- Reporting your injuries to your employer:
As soon as you can after you get hurt, you should report the injury incident to your boss/employer. This can help jump start the process of filing a workers’ compensation claim, if appropriate. - Documenting the incident:
Documenting the incident that caused your injuries is important. You should be as detailed in your documentation as possible, including taking pictures of the accident scene, gathering contact information from witnesses, and remembering to keep track of your medical bills and records. - Consulting with a construction accident lawyer:
It’s a smart move to talk to a Long Beach construction accident lawyer as soon as you can after your accident. An experienced attorney can provide you with valuable legal advice concerning your legal rights and options for gathering full and fair financial compensation for your injuries and damages. - Filing a workers’ compensation claim:
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one in five worker deaths in the U.S. are in construction. If you were hurt while working on the construction site, you may be eligible to collect workers’ compensation benefits. Your lawyer can help you file a claim and make sure you are able to receive the maximum compensation available for your injuries. - Consider pursuing a personal injury lawsuit:
If your injuries happened due to the actions of someone other than your employer, such as a third-party contractor, you may want to file a personal injury lawsuit. Your lawyer can help you figure out if this is a viable option for you and your specific situation.
Overall, it is extremely important to act immediately after you are injured on a construction site. Seeking the proper medical care, reporting the injury incident to your employer, and talking to a Long Beach construction accident lawyer can help preserve your legal rights and gather full and fair financial compensation for your injuries.
Construction Accidents Can Result in Catastrophic Injuries
Some of the most commonly reported construction-related injuries in California include:
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) — Regardless of the fact that OSHA enforces rules around the use of hard hats on construction sites, workers may suffer from falls, falling materials and tools, and defective equipment.
- Spinal cord injuries — Falls from high places on construction sites, such as roofs, high beams, and scaffolds are a leading cause of spinal cord injuries. Spinal cord injuries can also happen from struck-by accidents that involve heavy machinery and equipment.
- Fractures/crush injuries — Slips and falls, falling objects, heavy equipment accidents, and trench collapses can cause crush injuries or bone fractures, which can entail trauma to muscles, bones, nerves, and tissues.
- Burn injuries — Due to the fact that construction workers are often exposed to open flames, live wires, and volatile fumes, they may be placed at high risk of thermal, electrical, and chemical burns that can damage skin, nerves, muscle, fat, subcutaneous tissue, and bone.
Other common injuries often suffered by construction workers include:
- Neck, back, and shoulder injuries
- Knee injuries
- Ligament/muscle tears
- Repetitive motion injuries
- Heart attacks and strokes
Lastly, construction workers are often exposed to dangerous substances and chemicals which can cause a number of different occupational illnesses, particularly blood disorders, respiratory ailments, cancer, mesothelioma, and asbestosis.
The “Fatal Four” Construction Accidents
According to information provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the most common causes of construction site fatalities, the so-called “Fatal Four,” are:
Falls
Falls are the most commonly reported accident at construction sites in California. They make up approximately 40% of deaths related to construction accidents. Workers are often at high risk of falling from scaffolding, ladders, cross beams, and other heights.
Struck-by-Object
Struck-by-object accidents take place when improperly placed or secured equipment, tools, or other construction materials fall, striking unsuspecting workers. These types of incidents cause over 9% of construction accident deaths.
Caught In Between
Caught In Between accidents happen when construction workers become stuck between machinery, equipment, or other objects such as collapsing structures. These types of accidents account for approximately 7% of deaths related to construction accidents.
Electrocutions
Electrocutions happen frequently due to workers often being exposed to wires. More than 8% of fatalities in the construction industry happen due to electrocutions.
In addition to the Fatal Four, construction workers in California may suffer injuries in the following types of accidents:
Brazing or Welding
Brazing or Welding is a vital job at numerous construction sites, however, welding accidents may cause severe and even catastrophic injuries that can lead to long-term complications.
Collapses
Collapses often take place when construction workers have to dig trenches, which have the potential to cave in if proper safety provisions are not observed. Structures that are improperly built may also collapse, trapping workers beneath the debris.
Fires and Explosions
Fires and explosions may be caused by many different things, like exposed wires, flammable chemicals, leaking pipes, fractured gas mains, welding tools, and unattended blow torches.
Hand and Power Tools
These types of tools usually needed at construction sites like nail guns, saws, drills, sanders, polishers, and spray guns may cause injuries when workers lack proper training.
Heavy Equipment
Heavy machinery and equipment (e.g. forklifts, cranes, dumpsters) contribute to a multitude of construction injuries and accidents.
Despite the type of construction accident you were involved in, the quickest and most effective way to obtain full and fair financial compensation is to work alongside a skilled and aggressive construction accident lawyer.
Which Construction Accidents Can Be Considered Catastrophic Injuries?
Catastrophic injuries are the most severe injuries suffered. Usually, these types of injuries are related to brain damage, disfigurement, scarring, loss of limbs, and more. Generally speaking, these injuries often require medical care that may be complicated, exhausting, and expensive. Sadly, suffering catastrophic injuries can mean that victims may never totally recover, and have to deal with injury symptoms for the remainder of their lives. Those who do recover may need to spend long periods of time in in-patient care and in rehab facilities. Some of the most common construction accidents that are considered catastrophic in nature include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Skull fractures
- Concussions, severe trauma to the head
- Loss of consciousness
- “Crush” injuries, that crush limbs or even the body
- Amputation of limbs
- Paralysis from spinal cord injuries
- Fractures
- Burn injuries from dangerous chemicals
- Internal bleeding/internal organ damage
This is just a short list of some of the most commonly reported catastrophic injuries on construction sites. There are dozens of different kinds of catastrophic injuries that can occur.
How Can a Long Beach Construction Accident Lawyer Help Me Recover?
A Long Beach construction accident lawyer from the Madison Law Group can legally represent you to help you receive an optimal resolution for your current situation. They will help you to better understand your legal rights regarding financial compensation as well as help you decide how you want to move forward.
Here are some specific ways a construction accident lawyer can help you:
- Investigate your injury incident: A lawyer will thoroughly investigate your accident in order to figure out how it happened and who to hold responsible. This can involve interviewing witnesses, reviewing documents, and talking to specialists and experts.
- Assist you in filing a workers’ compensation claim: If you were hurt on the job, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. A layer will help you file a claim and make sure you get the benefits you need and deserve.
- Pursue a personal injury lawsuit: Depending on who is responsible for your injuries, you may be eligible to file a personal injury lawsuit. For example, if a third-party contractor’s negligence led to your injuries a lawsuit may be in order. At the Madison Law Group, we have helped numerous clients collect large settlements that helped them immensely in the time following their accidents.
- Negotiate a settlement: In some cases, a construction accident attorney can help you by negotiating a full and fair settlement from the responsible party’s insurance company. This may help save you the expense of going to court.
Overall, a construction accident attorney can provide you with legal representation and guidance to ensure that your rights are protected and that you receive the compensation you deserve.
Liability in a Construction Site Injury Claim
If proper safety measures are taken, construction site injuries can usually be prevented. For instance, if workers are provided with protective equipment like safety belts, hard hats, harnesses, and nets, workers may be less likely to suffer injuries. If these things are not provided for workers by their employers, workers may be eligible to file a claim for compensation.
Workers’ compensation is intended to protect injured workers by supplying benefits like medical care costs, lost wages, and more. When a construction accident is caused by negligence, however, a worker who becomes injured may be able to pursue a civil lawsuit against a number of different parties, including but not limited to:
- Supervisors
- Owners
- General contractors
- Engineers
- Subcontractors
- Machinery and equipment manufacturers
- Architects
If I was injured on a job at a construction site, who can I sue for damages?
Every accident that happens at a construction site is different. The facts of each incident need to be thoroughly reviewed before it can be determined whether or not a lawsuit can be filed. Depending on your personal circumstances, you may need to file a workers’ compensation claim, or you may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit against a negligent third party who contributed to your injuries.
Can I file a construction accident lawsuit?
You may be eligible to file a product liability lawsuit or a personal injury lawsuit, depending on the details of your accident. A skilled construction accident lawyer from the Madison Law Group can help look over your case and advise you of your available legal options so you’re able to make a well-informed decision.
How long does a construction accident lawsuit take to settle?
The length of time in which a construction accident lawsuit takes to settle depends on the complexity of your case. Not all lawsuits will end in settlements, though most do. Some end up going to trial and end with a verdict. Sometimes, claims may be resolved in just months, however, others may take a year or longer. A Long Beach construction accident lawyer can help you figure out a practical timeline so you have an idea of what to expect throughout the process.
Construction Site Safety
Just because an injury wasn’t supposed to happen, unfortunately, does not mean it was totally accidental. Workers may be pressured by their employers to place production higher on their priority list than safety. In order to ensure the timely and budget-friendly completion of certain projects, corners may be cut.
When employees’ safety is put at risk due to the selfish decisions of their employers, or when equipment malfunctions cause injuries, these injuries are wrongful, not just accidental; and those hurt and their family members have the right to seek compensation under the law.
Filing a construction injury lawsuit against a negligent party not only protects your legal rights, it helps to prevent future accidents that may harm others. Our construction accident lawyers are dedicated to advocating for construction site safety. When employers are held financially liable for their actions or lack thereof, it should motivate them to change. Sometimes, lawsuits result in the implementation of important safety regulations that ultimately protect workers from sustaining injuries in the future.
In order to properly protect the health and well-being of construction workers, job site safety is crucial. We are fully committed to holding responsible parties accountable for their negligent actions.
Damages in a Construction Accident Claim
When a person files any type of personal injury claim for compensation, they are seeking financial recovery for losses or damages that resulted from the negligence, intentional wrongdoing, or strict liability of another entity. These damages may be divided into two categories including economic and non-economic.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are quantifiable with a specific monetary value. They are often based on actual financial losses that resulted from your accident. Some of these may include:
- Medical care costs: Compensation for any medical care related to your injuries, such as surgeries, hospitalization, prescriptions, and rehab.
- Lost wages and future earning capacity: Compensation for all lost earnings related to your injuries, including future earnings that you may have earned had you not sustained your injuries.
- Property damage: Compensation for any personal property damage related to the incident.
- Home modifications: Compensation for the costs related to home modifications required to accommodate any impairment related to your injuries.
- Funeral and burial expenses: In cases where the accident ends in the fatality of a worker, financial compensation may be awarded to their family for funeral costs and burial expenses.
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages are more difficult to put a price on. Some of these include:
- Pain and suffering: This type of damage refers to the emotional and physical pain that resulted from your accident and the aftermath that followed.
- Emotional distress: This may include depression, anxiety, and other mental/emotional problems that arose after your accident.
- Loss of enjoyment of life: This mostly refers to no longer being able to partake in activities you once enjoyed due to anxiety and depression related to your injuries/accident.
- Loss of consortium: Any loss of intimacy or companionship related to your injuries is referred to as loss of consortium.
The particular damages that you may be eligible to receive compensation for in a Long Beach personal injury claim will greatly depend on the extent and type of injury as well as whether liability can be established. Damages are awarded to injured workers in order to compensate them for the harm and losses they may have endured. They are also awarded in order to help return injured parties to their pre-accident condition when possible.
Why Do Construction Accidents Happen?
Unfortunately, construction accidents can happen for countless reasons. Despite the fact that most construction workers are mindful, attentive, and hard-working, they are often under strict deadlines that put a lot of pressure on them. Additionally, their employers may also be under a lot of pressure to get the job done without spending a lot of money, which could cause them to cut corners and risk the safety of their workers.
All too often, construction companies attempt to get around safety requirements in order to save time and money. Despite how your injuries occurred, at the Madison Law Group, we know what it takes to get you the justice and financial compensation you deserve.
Construction Accident Statistics
Here are some construction accident statistics for the United States:
- Information provided by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) shows that one in five worker deaths in the U.S. are in construction.
- In 2019, 1,066 fatalities were suffered by construction workers in the U.S. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- Four top causes of construction worker deaths in 2019 were being struck by an object, falls, caught in/between accidents, and electrocutions. These “fatal four” causes accounted for nearly 64% of all construction worker deaths in 2019.
- Construction workers may also suffer non-fatal injuries. In 2019, approximately 200,000 non-fatal illnesses and injuries among construction workers occurred, requiring extended periods of time away from work to recover. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
- The most commonly seen non-fatal injuries in construction are strains, sprains, tears, and cuts, as well as lacerations and punctures. (source: Bureau of Labor Statistics).
An important takeaway from these statistics is that construction accidents represent a severe issue in the United States, and a lot of work is still left to be done in terms of improving safety measures and preventing injury accidents.
What Information Do I Need to Show to Start a Construction Accident Case?
In order to be successful in winning a construction accident claim, you need to be able to show that your employer or a third party was negligent which directly led to your injuries. With the help of a skilled construction accident attorney from the Madison Law Group, you’ll be able to prove everything necessary to get the compensation you deserve.
Your employer owes you a legal obligation to keep you reasonably safe from harm, so when this duty is breached, you are able to file a claim for compensation. Additionally, you must be able to show, with the help of a skilled Long Beach construction accident lawyer, that the defendant (your employer or a third party) failed to meet their legal duty to prioritize your safety. Furthermore, you must be able to prove that your accident did indeed occur while working. Also, the plaintiff must be able to prove that you were seriously injured, and that your injuries significantly impacted your life and ability to enjoy life.
If you believe that you or someone you love were injured due to negligence on a construction site, working with a skilled construction accident attorney in Long Beach is definitely in your best interest.
Don’t Wait Too Long to File Your Construction Accident Case
It is important to act in a timely manner after your accident if you wish to pursue damages and collect full and fair financial compensation. Depending on the circumstances of your case, you only have a certain amount of time in which you can file a lawsuit against a liable party.
The majority of personal injury cases in California have a two-year statute of limitations, meaning that you only have two years from the date of your accident in which to successfully file a claim against a responsible party. The last thing you need is to have a viable case that could have potentially brought you significant financial compensation, only to have missed the window in which you were to file it.
Beyond the statute of limitations, some evidence is time sensitive. Witnesses move to different areas, or sometimes forget the actual chain of events that led to your injuries. Surveillance videos may be erased or lost. Environmental evidence like fallen trees, skid marks, or damage to construction sites may be gone due to being fixed or repaired. The sooner you reach out to an experienced construction accident attorney in Long Beach, the sooner they can get to work on your case.
What Information Do I Need to Show a Lawyer to Start a Construction Accident Case?
If you are considering filing a lawsuit after being hurt on a construction site, several pieces of pertinent information are needed by your construction accident lawyer in order to build a solid case on your behalf. You should bring as much of the following items to your free consultation as possible. If you do not have these items, your attorney may be able to help you obtain them.
Details about the accident: Your attorney will ask you to provide them with a detailed account of how your accident took place, including the location, equipment used, and who saw it happen. If possible, provide pictures, videos, or statements from witnesses describing the events that occurred.
Medical records: Your Long Beach construction accident lawyer will need to be able to review your medical records so they can have a working understanding of your injuries and the treatment you received. This can help them determine the amount of financial compensation you may be eligible to collect.
Employment information: Your lawyer will need you to provide them with information about your job, including your title, salary, and benefits. They will also need to understand your job responsibilities and duties to figure out if any workplace safety regulations were breached.
Insurance information: Your attorney will need any information you have concerning insurance policies involved in your case, including liability insurance, workers’ compensation, and health insurance.
Documentation of damages: It is vital to document your financial losses related to your accident and injuries such as medical care costs, lost wages, and property damage. It is also important to document the non-economic impact your injuries may have had on your life, including emotional issues and the impact they have had on your family and their well-being. Statements from family members and close friends may be provided in order to reiterate the effect your injuries had on your life.
Witness statements: Witness statements may very well be one of the most critical pieces of evidence in a construction accident case. If anyone saw your accident happen, your lawyer will need their contact information to see about getting a statement concerning what they saw.
Expert opinions: In some cases, your construction accident attorney may need to speak to specialists such as engineers or safety professionals in order to fully understand the scope and cause of the accident as well as provide an expert opinion as evidence of your claim.
By providing this and other important information, you can assist your lawyer in building a strong case on your behalf while simultaneously increasing your chances of receiving just compensation for your injuries and damages.
How Madison Law Group can Help You
The skilled and experienced team of personal injury attorneys at the Madison Law Group are proud to say that we are fully dedicated to aggressively pursuing personal injury claims for our clients. As your committed personal injury law firm, we will thoroughly investigate the strengths and weaknesses of your claim to ensure we can get the best possible outcome for you. Our construction accident attorneys will assess your situation at no cost to you during your free consultation, so you can weigh your options without worrying about money.