Construction workers are among the most at risk employees in the US. According to statistical data published by OHSA, 1,061 construction workers died as a result of a workplace accident in 2019, representing 20% of all workplace fatalities in private industry. If you were injured on or near a construction site as an employee or innocent by-stander, you need to know your rights and call A Fort Lauderdale construction accident lawyer.

Our attorneys at VG Law Group are ready to investigate your case and offer you the best legal options to file a compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit.

The Most Frequent Causes of Accidents in the Construction Industry

Construction work involves lifting heavy loads, operating machinery and construction equipment, going up and down scaffolds and working at high elevations. Whenever something goes wrong, no matter how slight it may seem, it can result in an injured worker.

In our experience as construction accident attorneys, we have seen the following types of construction accidents:

  • Misuses of or damaged ladders
  • faulty scaffolding
  • malfunctioning heavy machinery
  • slip and falls
  • unmarked and unprotected openings
  • faulty or exposed electrical wiring
  • lifting and crush accidents.

When such an incident happens on construction sites, the victim should receive first aid before anything else. If you can move freely without making your injuries worse, you should take a few photos of the accident site. Otherwise, sit still and try to memorize all your actions prior and during the accident.

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Types of Construction Accident Injuries

Any construction site accident has the potential to cause severe or catastrophic injuries. From broken bones to traumatic brain injuries, such an accident may require hospitalization, surgeries and a long recovery time. In some cases, even with the best medical treatment, the victim is never completely rehabilitated and able to go back to their regular life and work.

Burns, soft tissue injuries and spinal cord injuries can also leave permanent disfigurement and disabilities. In the worst case scenario, the VG Law Group team of construction accident lawyer advised bereaved families to file a wrongful death lawsuit for the death of their loved one at work on a construction site.

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What Options Do You Have to Receive Fair Compensation?

As a worker employed by a construction company, you have two choices for recovering your medical care costs, lost wages and other out-of-pocket expenses. The first option is to file a claim for compensation benefits under the workers' compensation insurance scheme. This is the no-fault option, where you do not have to prove that someone's negligence caused your accident.

The other option is to file a personal injury lawsuit against a liable party. Let us explore both options in further detail.

Filing for Workers' Compensation Insurance

Victims of construction accidents should immediately notify their employer of the occurrence. If they wish to make a workers' comp claim, they need to see an approved doctor, who will establish the extent of the injuries, from common to severe injuries. The employer's insurance will pay for the medical expenses and lost wages while the injured person was unable to work.

In this case, the injured construction worker must keep in mind two key aspects:

  • seeing an approved doctor
  • filing the compensation claim on time.

This is why it is never a good idea to try carrying on with your job duties and putting off seeing a doctor. If you go to the wrong type of doctor, or you seek medical assistance too late, your employer may deny your claim.

Filing a Personal Injury Lawsuit

A construction accident lawsuit may take longer, but you may recover more damages. In this case, you need to identify the party liable for your construction site injuries. The defendants in such a case vary. For instance, you may file your lawsuit for damages against:

  • Site owners, site managers, contractors and sub-contractors, if they knew of a dangerous condition at the site and failed to take action
  • architects and designers, if a flaw in the construction design led to your accident
  • equipment manufacturers, if your injuries were caused by a defective machinery.

Do You Need to Hire a Construction Accident Law Firm?

In both cases presented above, your best chance at winning maximum compensation for your pain and loss is hiring an experienced worker's compensation lawyer to represent you. Here are just a few reasons why you should consider this course of action:

1. Liable Parties Will Try to Shift the Blame on You

Do you think that getting your worker's comp settlement is as simple as signing a paper and getting paid? It should be in an ideal world. But in the real world we live in, general contractors and site owners will fight you at every step of the way and refuse to accept liability if they can get away with it.

An experienced attorney, who handled many workplace injury cases, will be able to present the actual circumstances of the accident to the insurance representatives, indicate who is ultimately responsible for your injuries due to negligence and negotiate a fair settlement for you.

2. You May Recover More Damages in a Lawsuit

Expenses for treatment after a long period of time in hospital can be very high. At the same time, you suffered loss of income and may be unable to return to your work due to permanent impairment, such as amputation, loss of vision or paralysis.

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In this case, personal injury lawyers can add various types of compensation in your claim, including non-economic losses, which cover:

3. You Don't Have to Worry about Paying Upfront Fees

Your construction injury attorney works on a contingency base. There are no advance fees - in fact, there are no fees until your case is settled and you receive your compensation. Thus, you don't have to worry that you don't afford retaining a lawyer.

Hire a Construction Injury Law Firm Working to Get Your Fair Compensation!

VG Law Group is a team of young and dynamic lawyers who believe that everyone deserves justice. We use modern solutions to solve each case and put clients at the heart of everything we do. You can contact us 24/7 for a free case review: 833-HELP-365!

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