May 15, 2017

A Comprehensive Guide to Seeking a Construction Accident Attorney

Image 1: Facts You Should Know about Hiring a Construction Accident Attorney

On average, two construction workers are fatally injured each day in the U.S., while many more suffer from minor injuries. While there are many guidelines in place to protect these workers from harm, the nature of their work contains much risk. If you’ve been injured in an accident at work, consider hiring a construction accident attorney to help you seek proper compensation.

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What Constitutes a Construction Accident? Basically, you’ve experienced a construction accident after suffering any accident at work, especially if you work in any part of the construction industry—be it mining, forestry, quarrying, or the building trade. Injuries can range from minor wounds to life-changing impairments. The more prevalent injuries affecting one's life include those to the back and neck, the loss of limbs, impact to the brain, and deafness, though any serious injury can be filed in a claim. Common Causes of Construction Accidents Because there are many branches of construction, causes of injury are varied. However, falls are by far the most common cause of injury. Indeed, 37% of all recorded injuries are due to falling. Other common causes include impact from an object, electrocution, and being pressed between two objects. Can You Make a Claim if the Accident Was Your Fault? In general, personal injury claims are made when an injury wasn’t the victim’s fault. You can make a claim for compensation, which is paid out by your employer’s insurance. If an accident is partly due to an errant judgment in your part, you may still to file a claim in certain situations. For instance, your employers might still be liable for your accident if they were in breach of safety protocol. The courts shall determine the party (or parties) at fault, and will decide on a justifiable amount for compensation. Should they decide that both parties are at fault, an injured person would be granted with damages proportional to the amount of fault he contributed to his own injury. When you first contact a construction accident attorney, he or she will assess such situations to determine whether you can file a claim or not. The Claims Process Even if claims should be filed within two years of an accident, claimants are advised to do so as soon as possible. Once you’ve chosen an attorney, he or she will ask you to gather evidence to support your claim. This may be in the form of medical reports, scans and tests, photographs of the scene and your injuries, as well as proof that you logged the accident with your employer at the time of the incident.

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Your attorney will then put together a case and present it to the insurance company or the employer. Usually claims are settled out of court, but you may be asked to go to court for a rendering if no resolution is agreed upon. If you think you have grounds to make a claim after a construction accident, contact an attorney for more information on how to proceed. Your future is too important to ignore a chance to find recompense for recklessness on the part of your employer. About D & Z Law Group, LLP: As experts in managing construction accident cases, Los Angeles-based D & Z Law Group has a long history of successful and happy clients. If you’re looking for a construction accident attorney that’s going to negotiate fiercely on your behalf, contact us today to find out how we can help you.

Sources: Construction Accidents: The Risks, the Facts and the Repercussions, EHSToday.com Construction Site Injuries, Injury.FindLaw.com

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