Vancouver Construction Accident Lawyers
If you were injured on a worksite, Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can help. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has established regulations to ensure construction site safety, yet the nature of the work as well as the activity conducted make such workplaces among the most dangerous in the country. At the Etengoff Pak Law Group – Vancouver Personal Injury Attorney, we can ensure that your case is handled properly, and that your construction injury is both properly documented and presented.
There Are Inherent Safety Concerns to Construction Work
The operation of heavy equipment and machinery, working from heights on scaffolding and ladders, the exposure to live electrical wires and the inevitable debris found on a construction site pose dangers to workers on a daily basis.
Although both workers and construction companies must follow certain safety protocols, many injury claims arise from some failure to do so that resulted in an injury to a worker.
Each year, thousands of people sustain injuries in construction accidents. In fact, in 2012, approximately 183,000 injuries occurred to construction workers. Of those, 775 were fatal injuries. Many of these job-related injuries could have been prevented. Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can review your case and determine if someone else caused your injuries, and help you obtain compensation.
Common Construction Injuries
According to OSHA reports, falls are the most common cause of injuries and strains, while sprains are the most common injuries. Due to the physical nature of most construction jobs, most injuries cause the worker to miss significant time from work, and a common concern a Vancouver construction accident attorney reports is permanent injury that may preclude the ability to continue work in the future.
Construction workers most often suffer injury by what some call the “fatal four.” Four categories of injuries make up around 60 percent of deaths on construction sites. The fatal four include the following:
- Falls
- Electrocutions
- Being struck by an object
- Being caught in between objects
Understanding common causes of construction accidents can help prevent injuries on the job site. Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers are familiar with the main causes of injuries and death. We know how to gather evidence showing the cause of an accident and show who may be to blame.
A Vancouver Construction Accident Lawyer on Injuries and Workers’ Compensation
For employees injured in a work-related incident, workers’ compensation is in most cases the exclusive remedy. However, the complexity of the jobs workers perform on a construction site often means that more than one party may be responsible for an individual’s injuries. If you filed a workers’ comp claim against your employer, you can still file a lawsuit against a negligent third party.
Through a workers’ compensation claim, you may be able to obtain financial compensation for the following:
- Medical bills
- Lost wages
- Disability
- Disfigurement
- Loss of use of a body part
However, the compensation that is available through workers’ comp often only covers part of your damages. For example, workers’ comp may pay only a portion of your lost wages. By combining a workers’ comp claim with a third party lawsuit, you may be able to obtain full recovery of your losses.
What Is Third Party Liability?
A third-party lawsuit involves a claim that someone other than your employer or a coworker caused your injuries. This may involve a premises liability or product liability claim. You will be asserting that someone else caused your injuries and should be partially or fully liable for your losses.
Some examples of third-party liability include:
- The owner of the property
- A manufacturer of equipment or machinery
- A general contractor or sub-contractor
Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can evaluate your case and determine if you have a third party liability claim. This may take significant investigation and search for evidence about people and companies that are difficult to access. The sooner you contact a lawyer, the sooner you can begin your claim.
Injuries to Bystanders
Although workers often sustain injuries on construction sites, pedestrians and other bystanders are also at risk. Anyone who is near a construction site could be susceptible to injuries due to the dangerous nature of the equipment and building supplies. Common causes of injuries to bystanders may include the following:
- Falling debris
- Collisions on unmarked roadways
- Injuries to children who may wander onto a site
- Slips and falls
When a bystander suffers injury on a construction site or near it, the general contractor is often to blame. General contractors have a duty to warn the public of dangerous situations they create. If there is not enough of a warning about a dangerous situation, then the general contractor may have to pay for your injuries. Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can help you file a claim against a general contractor or property owner for causing your injuries.
A lawsuit against a general contractor or property owner would be a personal injury case. Personal injury cases are often based on negligence. They claim that the person or company to blame failed to act appropriately and did not uphold their duty to you. As a member of the public, you are owed a duty of safety in public locations. If someone failed to keep a location safe or properly warn you about a dangerous situation, then they may be liable for your losses. Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can evaluate your situation and help you with a personal injury lawsuit.
Defective Product Claims
There are many machines and other products on a construction site. Workers must use them appropriately in order to ensure their safety. However, when a worker uses a product the way the manufacturer intended and an injury still occurs, then the product may be defective or dangerous. Large machines, construction equipment, and other products that workers use on a construction site can be defective. In such a case, Vancouver WA construction accident lawyers can help you file a product liability claim.
Your attorney may base a product liability claim on the following:
- Design Defect. If a product is inherently dangerous in the way it was created, then it may have a design defect.
- Manufacturing Defect. If the manufacture created a product with subpar parts or failed to make it to designer specifications, then it may have a manufacturing defect.
- Failure to Warn. If a product is dangerous, but the company fails to warn the user or does not provide instructions on how to safely use it, then there may be a failure to warn.
If you were injured on a construction site due to a product that was inherently dangerous, then you may have a product liability claim that Vancouver WA construction accident attoreny can help you with.
Contact a Vancouver Construction Accident Lawyer for Legal Advice
A construction site accident can have serious and long-ranging consequences. Do not make the mistake of relying on an insurance company to take care of you. You need the counsel of an experienced advocate to recover maximum compensation for your injuries. Call the Vancouver construction accident lawyers at the Etengoff Pak Law Group – Vancouver Personal Injury Attorney today.
