Injured on a Construction Site? What to Do

Thursday, December 6, 2012

Injured on a Construction Site? What to Do

Written by Malman Law, reviewed by Steve J. Malman.

Construction sites are dangerous places. Many individuals suffer injuries when on or near a construction site. If you are in this situation, you may be wondering who is responsible for the injury, how you will pay all of the medical bills associated with it, and if you are entitled to compensation from the construction site. The following information will help you decide whether or not you should seek legal counsel due to your construction site injury.

Determining Responsibility

When you work at a construction site, it is important that you feel safe. Your employer should do everything in their power to ensure that the construction site practices the highest safety standards and keeps their employee’s safety as their number one priority. Unfortunately not all employers practice good safety standards, which will usually result in an employee injury. If this is the case, then the employer is responsible for your construction site injury as well as any medical costs that you endure because of it. Even if you are just an innocent bystander who gets injured on the construction site, you may be entitled to compensation if you were conducting yourself in a reasonable way and didn’t contribute to the injury.

Negligence May Be To Blame

Sometimes negligence is the cause of construction site accidents. In most cases an accident that was caused by negligence could have been prevented. If this is the case, then the parties that were injured may be eligible to file a claim for compensation.

Paying For Medical Expenses

It is important that whoever is responsible for the construction site injury pay the medical expenses for the injured party. It is important to note that in addition to medical expenses, the injured party may also be entitled to compensation for emotional or mental anguish as well.

Lost Wages Need To Be Compensated

Some injuries may be so severe that the affected individual will have to miss work. This usually means lost wages. If the construction site is responsible for the injuries, then they should compensate the time that you have to take off work to recuperate properly. If your injuries will affect you long-term, then they should be responsible for the financial loss that you will suffer in the future as well.

Take Action

If you are in the situation of having been injured on a construction site, you should seek advice from a qualified personal injury attorney. They can give you legal advice on whether or not you should seek compensation related to your injuries.

Remember that if you are employed at a construction site or are just close to one, you should always follow safety rules. This may mean wearing proper protective gear such as a hardhat or goggles. You should always remain alert and be aware of your surroundings. However, if an injury does occur, write down everything that happened and take pictures if you can. Once you have sought medical advice, consult a qualified personal injury lawyer, so that they can advise on what to do next and represent you if you do file a claim.

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