Did you know that some accidents occur more frequently than others on construction sites? There are various types of construction site accidents and injuries, but mainly four stand out. These are considered the fatal four since they are extremely serious and include falls, electrocution, being struck by an object, and being caught in equipment or machinery.
If you have been involved in a construction site accident, you may want to know if hiring an attorney is the right thing to do. You should, depending on your injuries. You can learn more at JMLawyer.com if you have further questions after reading this article.
Hiring an Attorney
If you are involved in construction, you know just how demanding and dangerous the job can be. It requires workers to handle heavy and dangerous machinery and equipment. Workers also need to be able to climb to great heights and have the ability to do their job in various environments.
Even if a construction worker takes all the necessary precautions, an accident may still occur while on the job. Unsafe circumstances can result in an injury that may entitle a worker to compensation from the company. Additionally, a construction accident attorney can make sure that both you and your family remain protected by your legal rights.
A construction accident attorney that is experienced can help you do all of the following:
- Help you sort your hospital bills, medical bills, and rehab costs related to your injuries to get the compensation you deserve.
- Recover lost wages as a result of missing work due to your injuries as well as lost earning capacity for the future.
- File a claim for the emotional distress you are suffering due to your injuries.
- Collect pain and suffering for both the past and the future.
Even if your injuries don’t seem serious in the beginning, they can lead to serious consequences later on for both the injured worker and his or her family. When a construction worker suffers an injury, there is a great deal of financial stress that comes from lost wages and medical bills during the recovery process.
If a worker suffers serious injuries, the worker may not ever be able to return to work in the future. It is also possible for a worker to have to undergo a lifetime of treatments following a catastrophic accident, including surgery, therapy, and rehab. Expenses related to medical treatment and loss of earning capacity can amount to six or seven-figure sums.
What About Filing for Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation benefits only apply to legal claims made between the employee and the employer. Workers still have the right to file a claim for workers’ comp against their employer, but the benefits are not as adequate for medical bills, lost wages, future earning capacity, and more.
Workers do have the option to file a work injury claim with a construction accident lawyer to see if there are other financial entities available. Construction projects typically involve many different companies and entities working on a single construction site project. An attorney will be able to determine which groups, companies, or persons, caused the worker’s injuries and file a personal injury lawsuit thereafter.
Additionally, there are cases where safety equipment and defective materials are the cause of an injury on a construction site. However, the worker may still have the ability to bring a product liability case against the manufacturer for negligence.
With that being said, workers should still reach out to a construction accident attorney since there is a myriad of possibilities regarding recovery from different parties involved in a construction site injury.