Personal Injury Lawyers Offer Construction Accident Help in Philadelphia and throughout South Jersey
Construction workers have to deal with some of the most dangerous work environments in the country. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) reported nearly 800 construction site deaths in 2012. The most serious construction accidents are not just harmful to a worker; they can also be devastating for a worker’s family members. Many construction workers depend on their jobs to provide for their families.
If you are unable to return to work, even temporarily, because of your injuries, you need to be justly compensated. Further, if you have mounting medical bills, you want to make sure the negligent party that caused your accident will pay those bills. The operators of a construction site have a responsibility to keep employees safe. In fact, most construction accidents could have been avoided with proper safety precautions and sufficient training. The experienced personal injury lawyers at the Law Offices of Craig A. Altman will make sure the appropriate parties are held responsible for your construction accident injuries in Philadelphia, PA, Cherry Hill, NJ, and surrounding counties.
Severe Injuries Caused by NJ & PA Construction Accidents
Some of the more common injuries due to construction accidents are brain and spinal cord injuries,, back injuries, broken bones, nerve damage, permanent scarring, amputation, paralysis, and wrongful death.
The severity of a construction accident injury depends on the type of accident. Typical causes of construction accidents include:
- Unguarded scaffolding – Companies that fail to use certain implements or safety features (guard railings, toeboards, scaffold ties) in violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are potentially liable for resulting injuries.
- Struck by falling objects – Tools and equipment that slide off of high scaffolding can cause serious injuries to workers, pedestrians, and passersby.
- Construction debris – Site debris may be responsible for slip-and-fall accidents.
- Snow and ice – Construction site operators have a duty to ensure that workers are able to maintain safe footing while working.
- Table saw accidents
- Electrocution – Construction workers often work close to live wires.
- Chemical burns – Burn injuries can be caused by exposure to live electrical currents on construction sites.
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
- Elevator accidents
- Forklift accidents
- Crane collapses – Cranes are heavy-duty machinery that can cause serious and long-lasting injuries for construction workers.
- Ladder accidents – A ladder accident often involves a fall from a great height, resulting in serious injuries.
- Power tool injuries – These include table saw accidents and nail gun injuries.
- Failure to warn – Construction site operators have a duty to post clearly visible warning signs that alert workers to hazardous areas.
- Inadequate safety equipment and training
Determining Liability for Construction Accidents in NJ & PA
Since there may be many different parties who are liable for your construction accident, an experienced personal injury attorney can help you determine precisely who is responsible for your injuries. A construction accident injury can give rise to both a workers’ compensation claim and a claim against a negligent third-party contractor.
Workers’ compensation typically provides coverage only for necessary medical treatment and compensation for lost wages. This means that workers’ comp benefits may not be enough to adequately compensate you for your injuries.
You should never assume that workers’ compensation is your only avenue for compensation. If a third party’s negligence contributed in any way to your construction accident, you may have a lawsuit against them. Owners, contractors, equipment manufacturers, architects, and project engineers can all potentially be sued for construction site injuries. Owners and contractors need to ensure that certain safety standards are in place at the construction site. They also need to warn workers of potential hazards at the worksite. Additionally, you might have a viable product liability claim. If a piece of faulty equipment or a defective product caused your injury, you may be able to sue the manufacturer.
Contact the Law Offices of Craig A. Altman for a Free Consultation about Your Construction Accident
If you are injured in a construction accident, you may be entitled to compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, physical pain and suffering, emotional anguish, and disability. An experienced construction accident attorney can help you to get the compensation you need and deserve. Many employers will try to blame you for causing the injury. We won’t let them. We will help you navigate the workers’ compensation system in NJ or PA. We will investigate the circumstances of your construction accident. We will also make sure that your employer followed all relevant state and federal regulations concerning worksite safety.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at the Law Offices of Craig A. Altman know how to maximize your compensation and ensure that you receive all benefits to which you are entitled. Call us 24 hours a day, or simply use our online contact form to schedule a free consultation about your case.