Construction sites can be very dangerous. Fortunately, most construction companies take many steps to ensure the safety of their employees. Unfortunately, there are a few that cut corners or act negligently. The result can be a serious construction accident that causes personal injury or wrongful death.
Those responsible for construction accidents should be held responsible. The victims have the right to seek full and fair compensation. At the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, we are here to help.
Most Common Construction Site Injuries In Los Angeles
Injuries caused by construction site accidents vary widely. At the Law Offices of Howard Kornberg, our dedicated construction site accident lawyers in Los Angeles regularly help clients who have sustained the following types of injuries:
- Electrocution
- Broken and dislocated bones
- Spinal cord trauma with paralysis
- Other severe back or neck injury
- Traumatic brain injury
- Concussions
- Open head wounds
- Internal organ damage
- Internal bleeding
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Significant scarring and disfigurement
- Burn injuries
- Toxic Exposure
However, we also know that construction site workers are prone to injuries that occur over longer periods of time. This can include various types of repetitive motion injuries that occur after employees perform the same type of motion over and over again. These injuries can be debilitating for joints, tendons, and muscles and lead to long-term disabilities.
Additionally, construction site workers can suffer from a range of other types of illnesses, including the following:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Respiratory diseases
- Occupational cancers
- Hearing and vision loss
- Nerve damage
Often, these illnesses occur after exposure to hazardous or toxic chemicals or after years of exposure to stressful work environments.
We Offer Free Consultation
E-mail us or call us at 310-997-0904 to talk your case over with a trusted construction accident lawyer.
Our team brings more than 30 years of experience to every case we handle. We are able to take on all construction accidents in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California.
Howard C. Kornberg is AV-rated* by Martindale-Hubbell, the highest rating given to attorneys for legal trial skills and ethical standards.
We can handle all types of construction accidents, including:
- Heavy equipment accidents: Most construction sites have some sort of heavy equipment operating in the area. This can include actual motor vehicles, forklifts, tractors, cranes, and more. Even a simple mistake made while operating a piece of heavy equipment can lead to devastating injuries for workers.
- Scaffold accidents: OSHA has very strict requirements when it comes to constructing and maintaining scaffolding. Because scaffolding is such an important part of most construction sites, it is imperative that workers properly construct these devices.
- Falling accidents: Falls are one of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities on construction sites. Often, these falls can occur from one level to the other. Construction companies must provide proper fall prevention equipment and training to all workers.
- Trench accidents: If trenches around a construction site are constructed improperly or not maintained, they could collapse on the workers inside. These incidents often result in incredibly traumatic injuries for workers.
- Slip and fall on the construction site: Slip and fall accidents can occur on any job site, but the risk is increased at a construction site, particularly when there are multiple levels involved or hazardous equipment lying around.
- Falling objects: Items must be properly secured at a construction site, particularly if workers are operating from varying heights. Not only do falling objects pose hazards to construction workers below, but also to civilians in the vicinity.
- Electrocution: Electrocutions are another leading cause of injuries and fatalities at construction sites. It is crucial for all workers to have a basic understanding of electrocution prevention, and there must be proper warning signs about potential electrocution risks where there are live wires.
- Burn Injuries
In addition to building construction accident cases, our law firm can also handle cases involving accidents on highway and road construction sites.
While many of these accidents are caused by negligence on the construction site, others may be caused by the use of defective products. In these situations, we will pursue action against the manufacturer of the defective piece of construction equipment. We will look for all opportunities to get you the maximum amount of compensation.
What Type Of Compensation Is Available In These Cases?
There may be various types of compensation available to those injured at a construction site in or around the Los Angeles area. In general, our attorneys will strive to recover both economic and non-economic compensation on behalf of our clients. This can include, but is not limited to, the following:
- Complete coverage of past and future medical bills caused by the incident
- Coverage of any physical therapy or rehabilitation needed
- The cost of any prescription medications or medical devices necessary
- Lost income if a victim cannot work
- Pain and suffering damages
The total amount of compensation available in these situations will vary depending on various factors related to each particular construction site injury.
Will This Be A Workers’ Compensation Claim Or A Third-Party Lawsuit?
When working to understand how you will recover compensation following a construction site accident, you need to first know whether or not your claim will be filed through the workers’ compensation system or possibly through a lawsuit against a third party.
The vast majority of construction accident claims will be filed as workers’ compensation claims. Just about every employee in California is covered through the workers’ comp system. When a person is injured on the job, they will be entitled to coverage of their medical bills and a significant portion of their lost wages if they have to take time off work while they recover. For construction injuries, the workers’ comp system will provide various types of disability benefits for long-term or permanent injuries. However, pain and suffering damages are not available when a person recovers compensation through a workers’ comp claim.
Injured construction workers are generally not able to file lawsuits after an on-the-job injury. However, if the injury was caused by the careless or negligent actions of a third party other than the employer, it may be possible to file a personal injury lawsuit in civil court in order to recover compensation. When a third-party lawsuit is filed, injured construction workers could end up receiving much more compensation than they would through a traditional workers’ compensation claim in Los Angeles. This includes the possible recovery of pain and suffering damages. However, while workers’ compensation coverage is pretty much guaranteed when a person sustains an on-the-job injury, there is no guarantee that a person will win a third-party lawsuit.
Additionally, if a workplace injury occurs because of a defective product, then it may be possible to file a third-party lawsuit against the product’s company or manufacturer.
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*AV®, BV®, AV Preeminent®, and BV Distinguished® are registered certification marks of Reed Elsevier Properties Inc., used in accordance with the Martindale-Hubbell certification procedures, standards, and policies. Martindale-Hubbell is the facilitator of a peer-review rating process. Ratings reflect the anonymous opinions of members of the bar and the judiciary. Martindale-Hubbell Peer Review Ratings fall into two categories – legal ability and general practice standards.
