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If you or a loved one were injured in a construction site accident you may not be able to return to work for a long period of time, or at all. A Seattle construction accident lawyer can help you recover financially from the at-fault party. With no money coming in and medical and rehabilitation bills piling up, what do you do? The last thing you should worry about while you’re recovering from a construction site accident is how you will pay for your living expenses, medical bills, and rehabilitation bills.
Due to the heavy equipment and nature of the work, construction site accidents often lead to severe, catastrophic injuries. Catastrophic injuries typically result in long hospital stays and even longer recovery times.
A Seattle workers’ compensation attorney can help you file a workers compensation claim against your employer. However, workers compensation is typically woefully inadequate. Oftentimes, a construction accident injury occurs due to negligence or illegal behavior. If you were injured due to a product malfunction, negligence, or illegal behavior, we can help you recover through a third-party liability claim or negligence action.
For immediate relief, a construction accident attorney can help you file a workers compensation claim. When you file a workers compensation claim, your employer’s insurer may:
A Seattle construction accident lawyer can negotiate with the workers compensation insurers on your behalf to ensure you receive the coverage and time off work you need. An attorney can also:
A Seattle construction accident lawyer can assist you in recovering additional damages through a third party liability action against a product manufacturer or an intentional negligence claim against your employer. Whether you were injured by a machine malfunction or the negligent or illegal actions of your employer, a construction site accident lawyer can help you pursue the settlement you deserve from the at-fault party.
You will spend precious time and resources recovering from a construction accident injury. In fact, a construction accident injury that requires medical attention can cost upwards of $39,000 while the cost of a fatality can cost your family members upwards of $1,150,000.
These figures include lost wages and medical expenses but they do not include temporary or permanent disability and continued rehabilitative care like physical therapy. So, how do you recover? A Seattle personal injury attorney can help! Our attorneys in Washington state can help injured construction workers secure the compensation they deserve from insurance companies.
Workers’ compensation claims in Washington for on-the-job injuries provide compensation for the following:
If an injured construction worker files a personal injury claim instead of a workers’ compensation claim against a liable employer or third-party entity like a contractor or property owner they can recover compensation for the following damages:
While personal injury lawsuits provide greater compensation compared to standard workers’ compensation claims, not every injury warrants a personal injury claim if your employer has a contract with workers’ compensation insurance.
Washington puts statutes of limitations in place for filing injury claims. These limits serve to keep evidence available and witness testimony fresh. It also protects defendants from the long-term threat of lawsuits after an injury. The time limit for filing a construction accident claim depends on the type of claim you file. Construction injury victims have up to 1 year after the date of their injury to file a workers’ compensation claim against their employer.
If a third party such as an equipment manufacturer, property owner, or contractor is liable for the accident, injury victims have up to 3 years to file a personal injury lawsuit.
In the vast majority of personal injury lawsuits, including third-party construction injury claims, the liable party settles out of court through their liability insurance. However, if the insurance company denies a valid claim or offers an overly low settlement amount you can file a lawsuit against them within the state’s 3-year limit to try to recover damages through a jury award.
Most construction company owners and managers are immune from liability due to their contracts with workers’ compensation insurance. Only in cases of egregious negligence or intentional wrongdoing by an owner, manager, or coworker can they be held liable for injuries or accidental deaths.
However, sometimes injury victims can trace their injury back to a party other than an employer. If a third party’s negligence caused your injury, they are liable for damages. Examples of common liable third parties in construction injuries include:
If your injury resulted from negligence on the part of a third party, you could benefit from filing a third-party liability claim rather than a workers’ compensation claim. Third-party claims pay compensation for medical costs and lost wages and also allow compensation for pain and suffering as well as other non-economic damages such as loss of limb, disfigurement, or catastrophic injury compensation. Workers’ compensation only compensates for a percentage of medical expenses and lost wages.
As with any personal injury claim, proving liability in a Washington construction accident third-party claim requires demonstrating the following:
People or entities such as contractors, landowners, and others involved in common construction accident claims owe specific duties of care toward workers, including the following examples:
When any of the above breach their duty of care and the result is a preventable injury with significant damages, you have a right to file a claim against them. In most cases, their liability insurance offers a settlement on the claim. If your attorney is unable to secure an ample out-of-court settlement, they can file a lawsuit within the state’s statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits.
Many construction workers that experience an accident on a construction site will face a long recovery for one of the following types of common construction site injuries:
Serious injuries require painful and expensive treatment, often including surgeries, procedures, medications, and physical and occupational therapies. For construction workers, this also greatly impacts their ability to earn a living. The victim of a disabling injury may not be able to return to work in their previous capacity or at all. That’s why it’s essential to hire an experienced construction accident lawyer in Seattle to help you maximize the compensation you recover from the serious economic damages as well as for your pain and suffering.
Construction sites are inherently dangerous. Not only do construction jobs require a high degree of skill but they also require extreme caution and trust in managers and coworkers. Construction projects require working from dangerous heights, using heavy and sharp equipment, working with toxic chemicals, and working around dangerous electrical wiring projects. Most construction accident injuries we saw are caused by:
Construction sites are inherently dangerous and require rigid adherence to safety standards and protocols. When another party’s negligence results in your injury and economic damages, you deserve compensation.
Seattle is an ever-growing city with construction sites on every block. The construction industry thrives in Washington but with the dangerous heights, heavy equipment, and toxic chemicals involved in this necessary industry, construction work is a top cause of workplace accidents, second only to transportation injuries. Some startling statistics offer insight into the unique dangers of the construction industry in Washington:
Construction company owners, project managers, property owners, and contractors all owe a duty of care to employees to take reasonable measures to prevent injury. These measures include following industry safety standards, using safe equipment, performing regular safety checks, and more. Failing to take reasonable precautions on construction sites is a form of negligence.
In the most severe circumstances, construction injuries can be fatal. For example, the courts found a contractor in Washington liable for over $437,000 in wrongful death damages after a worker died in a preventable trench collapse incident on a construction site in 2022.
When a loved one dies in a workplace accident, it’s often a financial hardship for the surviving family members who depended on their income. This adds stress to an already grief-stricken family dealing with their unbearable loss. In cases of construction accident wrongful death, a personal representative of the close surviving family members may file a wrongful death claim to recover compensation for losses including:
If your loved one died in a preventable construction accident, your family shouldn’t be left holding the bag. Though financial compensation can’t bring a lost loved one back, it can provide the financial cushion your family needs so they can focus on recovering from their grief. Contact one of our Seattle wrongful death lawyers today.
The Seattle construction accident attorneys at The Fang Law Firm are standing by to assist you in filing a workers compensation or lawsuit against your negligent employer or product manufacturer. We have decades of experience in construction accident litigation in the Seattle area. We will fight for the settlement you deserve because you shouldn’t have to worry about medical bills while you’re recovering from your serious injuries. Call us today at (206) 489-5140 for a free construction accident case consultation.