Construction Accidents Lawyers in Delaware

How Many Construction Workers Are Injured Each Year?

The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is one of the federal agencies responsible for tracking the incidence rates of personal injury and worker deaths on construction sites.

The most recent report released by the BLS, which corresponded to the year 2019, indicated that there were more than 200,000 nonfatal construction site injuries. Added to these are the more than 1,000 construction worker lives lost on those same work sites, each and every one an unnecessary loss of life.

Why Hire A Construction Accidents Attorney?

Due to the nature of construction sites, there are few accidents occurring on the same that can be called fortuitous.

However, with the prevalence of construction worker deaths, victims often consider themselves lucky if they manage to survive. Unfortunately, a personal injury can be quite unforgiving, particularly for individuals whose income depends on their ability to perform physically-demanding tasks.

If tragedy strikes on a job site, whether the result is personal injury or death, seeking compensation for injuries is the right of the victim and their family members.

Schuster Jachetti LLP Construction Accident Law Offices

• Lewes Construction Accident Lawyers
• Georgetown Construction Accidents Attorneys
• Smyrna Construction Accident Injury Lawyers
• Wilmington Construction Injury Lawyers

Should you file a workers’ compensation claim or a construction accident personal injury lawsuit?

Depending on the circumstances, a construction accident lawsuit or wrongful death claim could be the best legal move. In other cases, applying for workers’ compensation benefits may be the only option. Whichever is the case, a construction accident lawyer can help make sure that victims and their loved ones make the right choice for them.

A construction accident case can make for a very involved compensation claim. Insurance companies are likely to resist settlements or paying out benefits because compensation amounts can be substantial. Schuster Jachetti LLP’s accident attorneys will be there every step of the way to provide guidance and passionate legal representation.

Types of Construction Accidents

The many different types of jobs performed on construction sites throughout the state of Delaware mean that there are many different ways in which construction site accidents can develop. Some of the most common types of construction accidents include:

Construction Falls

Job site workers can regularly be found on elevated surfaces. Whether it’s from a ladder, a scaffolding structure, a roof, or else, construction workers regularly suffer falls. Even with requirements for safety equipment to be used when working at heights, construction site falling injuries and deaths continue to occur.

Heavy Machinery Accidents

Construction employees often find themselves surrounded by heavy machinery. They regularly work with massive sections of buildings that are hoisted by cranes. Earth often has to be dug or moved by bulldozers. Front-loaders and dump trucks are constantly entering and exiting the job site. Many moving parts must be in sync for the task at hand to be completed without injury. Unfortunately, this precarious choreography is not always successful in preventing injury.

Electrocution

Whether they’re laying the cables themselves or simply working next to wiring crews, construction workers are constantly exposed to the risk of electrocution. The risk may not sound serious, but high voltage lines are common in a construction site. Even a short exposure to powerful electric currents can cause severe burns and other injuries if not death.

Struck-by Construction Accident

Falling objects are one of the biggest hazards found on a job site. It’s no surprise that every person, worker or not, who makes their way onto a site must wear a hardhat. Even then, falling objects account for a large number of construction site injuries each year.

Cave-ins

Cave-in accidents in construction are one of the least-known risks posed to the lives of workers. However, it is a very real one. Construction workers regularly work in ditches, and when the proper safety measures are not taken to preserve the walls of the excavation, they can collapse, leaving victims fatally trapped underneath.

Common Construction Accident Injuries

The previous section expanded on some examples of common construction site accidents. Below, we’ve presented a list of the most common construction accident injuries, many of which result from the accidents presented previously.

• Head trauma such as a TBI (traumatic brain injury)
• Spinal cord & back injury
• Cuts & slash wounds
• Loss of limb
• Bone fractures & ligament sprains/tears
• Loss of hearing
• Loss of vision
• Stress injuries (Incl. repetitive strain injuries)
• Heatstroke

The Most Common Construction Site Injury

The list of injuries above demonstrates the significant risk workers take every single day they step onto a construction site. Fortunately, most injured construction workers don’t lose their lives or suffer loss-of-limb accidents.

The most common construction site injury, burns & scarring, while not deadly, can still be life-altering.

Workers’ Compensation For Injured Construction Site Workers

Labor laws in the state of Delaware dictate that employers must purchase workers’ compensation insurance intended to cover any expense that may arise from a construction accident. If employers do not pay for such insurance policies and one of their employees suffers a work injury, the employer may be liable to lawsuits seeking remuneration for damages.

On the other hand, if the employer abides by these same state-level labor laws, then they are mostly protected from a lawsuit or case that an injured worker may attempt to file against them.

Before Construction Accident Workers’ Compensation Was Established…

At first, this may seem unfair. However, consider that previous to such legislation being enacted, almost every instance of a construction industry employee suffering an accident, they would file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer.

Each case would have to go in front of a court if the parties could not settle beforehand. This placed a large strain on the civil justice system and ultimately hurt both sides: the injured employee would have to wait a long time before receiving benefits and concrete treatment. Conversely, employers had to hire construction accident lawyers to argue on their behalf.

Once the construction accident workers’ compensation system was put in place, those who opened a construction accident case were able to get prompt treatment and financial support while employers were able to concentrate on running their business profitably.

Construction Accident Workers’ Compensation Claims

As alluded to above, in the modern-day, injured workers can open a construction accident case with the state workers’ comp board and receive compensation in short order. They can do this with or without the help of construction accident lawyers.

The most basic compensation awarded to a worker injured in a construction site can take into consideration their medical bills, pain and suffering, lost wages, and sometimes even future medical treatment and medication.

However, without the help of a construction accident attorney, victims can ensure that all of the above are given maximum consideration by the workers’ comp board, as are any other damages resulting from the accident.

Construction Accident Lawsuits (Third Party Liability)

It is indeed very difficult for a construction accident victim to file a lawsuit against their employer, this does not mean that they cannot seek damages from a third party who may have caused their accident.

A construction site is much busier than a construction industry outsider may imagine. There may be dozens of teams working on the same site at one time, and each of these crews could be employed by different construction companies.

Such a scenario is not out of the question given that different companies within the construction industry tend to specialize in particular tasks i.e. electricians, carpenters, plumbers, engineers, and more. Construction projects are usually running behind schedule, so a crowded worksite with many workers progressing on different tasks simultaneously is not an uncommon sight.

As you can guess, different teams working in close environments, with each of these trying to complete their own jobs as quickly as possible, can promptly result in a construction accident. And while it’s true that safety measures are known and enforced by all, construction accident injury cases continue to manifest.

If the negligence of one employee causes an employee of a different company (or contractor) to suffer a construction accident injury, then the employer of the reckless worker can be sued. This kind of third-party liability lawsuit on a construction site is usually paid out by the insurance company of the defendant and not the company or contractor themselves.

Construction Accident Attorneys

Are you unsure whether you’re eligible for benefits such as paid medical bills, pain and suffering compensation, and lost wages remuneration after a construction accident injury? Contact our team now for a free consultation with a construction accident lawyer at Schuster Jachetti LLP.

Our lawyers have been handling the compensation claims for injured workers in Delaware for years. We’ve previously managed countless construction accident cases and succeeded in getting victims and their loved ones the fair compensation they deserve. No matter the injury, location, or other circumstances of your accident – we want to help you, too.

Call our team today to schedule a free consultation and to discuss your case. Alternatively, you can fill out the form on this page to be contacted at a later time regarding your free case consultation.