Construction Falls Are Often Deadly
Construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. When a project involves working at height, the chances of serious injury or death significantly increase. Falls from height are the leading cause of serious injuries and fatalities on construction sites. Falls represent over a third of all construction injuries, making up 48 percent of serious injuries and 30 percent of fatalities.
Even when workers follow safety precautions perfectly, accidents can still happen. It’s important to understand your legal options when you suffer an accident.
What kind of compensation can construction workers recover?
Construction workers are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits from on-the-job injuries and occupational diseases. If they’re killed in an accident, their families may be able to recover death benefits and related compensation. Because workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, workers and families don’t have to prove that someone else was to blame for their injuries.
However, workers’ compensation benefits may not be sufficient to cover all related and resulting expenses. Generally, construction workers are not entitled to file a personal injury claim against their employers except in rare cases—but they can file a claim against a third party. Third parties, such as property owners, vendors or subcontractors can cause injuries to others, and can be held liable for damages. If defective equipment, tools, frameworks or vehicles caused the accident, the injured parties can file a claim against the manufacturer.
When you suffer an on-the-job accident, it’s worth consulting a personal injury attorney to determine whether you may have a third-party claim. Filing a personal injury claim may help you recover compensation for pain and suffering and other damages the no-fault workers’ compensation system cannot provide.
Learn whether you have a viable construction fall claim by calling the dedicated personal injury attorneys at Jakubowski, Robertson, Maffei, Goldsmith & Tartaglia, LLP today.