Not Just Employees
While construction site accidents are more common for those working on the site, some accidents result in injuries to passersby who are struck by falling debris, suffer a car accident connected to that falling debris, or accidentally wandering onto an unsecured site. An injured construction worker or otherwise should reach out to a Chicago construction accident attorney to review legal options related to negligence and other construction side conditions that resulted in those serious injuries.
Holding the Responsible Party Liable
In the state of Illinois and across the United States, construction companies are responsible for regular thorough inspections of each construction site alongside safety engineers. Construction companies must also provide safety programs and functional, appropriate safety gear for every worker. When these measures are not taken because of laziness or cutting corners to save money, the person or party responsible should pay.
Parties at fault for your workplace accident could include:
- Construction company owners
- Site managers
- Insurance companies
- Architects
- Safety inspectors
- Equipment manufacturers
- Subcontractors or general contractors
Although workers’ compensation laws prevent a construction worker or third party from filing a personal injury lawsuit against the company behind the construction work, you may be able to file lawsuits against other responsible parties for the accident and receive compensation above and beyond your workers’ compensation benefits.
Types of Construction Injuries
Construction injuries vary considerably, based on the type of work being performed and the circumstances surrounding your work environment. While a number of construction injuries are minor, the serious consequences they present should never be ignored. If your employer is negligent and you become injured, even a strain or sprain should force a construction company to reassess its safety procedures. This negligence regarding safety can also result in personal injury cases involving innocent bystanders.
Construction workers may suffer more severe injuries, such as burn injuries, spinal cord injuries, blinding injuries, and hearing loss. Pedestrians may be struck by falling materials, or find themselves enclosed because of faulty scaffolds that hold workers upright. While no construction site is entirely safe, many accidents can be avoided if the proper precautions are taken by all parties involved.
Common construction accidents that result in injury include:
- Falls from heights
- Electrocution
- Crane accidents
- Brazing Accidents
- Gas and mechanical hazards
- Scaffolding accidents
- Dangerous and defective machines
- Logging accidents
- Welding and cutting accidents
Moreover, an accident can have a devastating psychological impact on a person. The shock of the accident can be so great that it can cause a person to become overwhelmed and unable to cope. This can lead to a range of psychological problems, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety, and depression.
With the physical and mental implications of an accident, your finances may be greatly affected. At Walner Law, we’ll work with you to get all of the details related to any type of construction accident. Our experienced team of construction accident attorneys will evaluate the safety of a construction worksite related to your injuries, utilizing your medical records and firsthand accounts from the construction accident to point out the legal options that make sense to you.
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