People who work at construction sites are often exposed to risky situations. Construction workers are involved in one out of five workplace fatalities in the United States alone. Additionally, many more are injured each year. These types of accidents typically occur when safety engineers implement site safety programs, which are required components of construction projects, that are poor, incomplete, negligently designed, or simply not enacted.
Types of Construction Accident Cases We Handle
We represent clients in personal injury lawsuits when they have suffered serious injuries at construction sites as a result of the carelessness or negligence of others. Our ability to handle all types of construction accident cases is based on our in-depth knowledge of the personal injury laws that protect workers and visitors to construction sites. We augment that knowledge with our familiarity with the dynamics of a modern construction site and the planning, tools, building techniques, project management processes, and architectural designs that combine in ways that often expose construction workers to risks of injury. Consider, for example:
- Construction sites are populated by multiple contractors who need to coordinate their tasks and actions without harming other parties at the site.
- Site managers are under pressure to meet tight deadlines and to keep projects under budget, which might incentivize those managers to cut corners and create unsafe conditions.
- Construction equipment is often leased from vendors that might not inspect or maintain them properly, leading to enhanced risks from malfunctioning machinery.
- Construction vehicles and third-party material delivery services enter and leave the site with little or no familiarity with how the site is organized and where workers might be traversing those pathways.
We handle lawsuits involving workers who have suffered injuries from falls and falling objects, electrocutions, collapsing walls and trenches, vehicle and equipment collisions, collapsing scaffolds, and all other serious construction site mishaps. More critically, we distinguish ourselves in those lawsuits by applying our knowledge of the construction industry to recover the largest available damages award for our injured clients. This distinction is important because Pennsylvania applies a modified comparative negligence rule to personal injury cases. A person injured in a Philadelphia construction accident can recover compensation only if they are deemed less than 51 percent at fault for causing it. Negligent parties and the insurance companies liable to pay damages will inevitably argue that the injured person’s carelessness was a significant factor. Our lawyers, who handle cases for injured construction accident victims, use their knowledge to demonstrate how a negligent party’s actions were the primary or sole cause of the accident. We push back against insurance company arguments about how the negligence of our clients contributed to it. Further, we will make sure to name all responsible parties and those who failed to adhere to the safety standards that apply to every Philadelphia construction site.
Typical Construction Accident Injury Benefits
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In most cases, construction workers may not sue their employers if they were injured on the job. That doesn’t mean a third-party can’t be sued for negligence. It’s also worth noting that even construction workers who may have been injured as a result of their own carelessness can still be entitled to some compensation, thanks to the Workers Compensation Act (WCA). An injured worker will typically be awarded benefits like weekly payments and medical expenses. Unfortunately, rarely do workers compensation benefits cover the pain and suffering that result from a workplace injury. Weekly payments typically represent a percentage of the employee’s weekly earnings. Calculating them also involves factoring in the severity of the disability, whether it’s a temporary total disability or a permanent partial disability. Additionally, only treatments which are deemed necessary and directly related to the injury are covered by this compensation. To determine what you’d be entitled to after an injury on the job, discuss your case with a Philadelphia construction accident attorney.
Third Party Liability in Construction Accidents
Third Party Liability in Construction AccidentsAgain, there are circumstances in which it’s possible to assign liability for a construction site accident to a third-party. That’s why it’s so essential to contact an experienced construction accident lawyer in Philadelphia. The architects, contractors, owners, and equipment manufacturers may be found liable if the accident resulted from improper safety measures or from any other form of negligence. Both general contractors and subcontractors have a responsibility to provide necessary safety provisions and ensure a work site is safe for all employees. Their obligations include:
- Warning about any and all potential hazards on the site
- Hiring employees who exercise caution
- Coordinating job safety
- Ensuring all safety specifications have been followed.
Equipment manufacturers also have a responsibility, as they must design and maintain safe products for construction work. It’s not uncommon for a construction accident to result from a defective or dangerous product. In circumstances like these, an experienced Philadelphia construction accident attorney can be essential. Manufacturers may be found liable if a problem with their equipment results in an accident. To further understand third-party liability, speak with a Philadelphia construction accident lawyer. Equipment used on a construction site may include, but is not limited to, the following:
- harnesses
- lanyards
- anchorage points
- scaffolding
- power tools
- hoists
- derricks
- cranes
- conveyors
- woodworking tools
- ladders
- winches
- trucks
- graters
- scrapers
- tractors
- bulldozers
- forklifts
- back hoes
- heavy equipment
- boilers
- pressure vessels
- gas detectors
- other types of construction equipment
Hiring a Philadelphia Construction Accident Attorney
If you or a loved one has been injured at a construction site in Philadelphia, the Philadelphia construction accident lawyers at The Rothenberg Law Firm LLP can help. Call us at 1-800-624-8888 or submit a free online case evaluation at InjuryLawyer.com. The consultation with a construction accident lawyer in Philadelphia is FREE of charge. If our team of Philadelphia construction accident attorneys decides to take on your case, we work on a contingency fee basis. That means we won’t charge you any legal fees unless we are able to successfully secure compensation for you. It’s important to know that you may need to file your lawsuit by an expiration date, known as the Statute of Limitations. If you think you have a case, contact a Philadelphia construction accident attorney at our firm right away to avoid foregoing your right to damages and additional financial benefits.
Philadelphia Office Location
The Rothenberg Law Firm LLP
1420 Walnut Street,
Philadelphia, PA 19102
What Our Clients Say
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