A construction site can be riddled with hazards to workers and passersby. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 806 people around the United States lost their lives in construction accidents in 2012. Many more suffered serious injuries.
Construction workers injured on the job have legal rights to recover compensation for the damages they suffer. A construction accident lawyer at The Holland Law Group helps workers seek the benefits they need to pay for medical treatment, recover lost wages, and address other losses that create a financial burden for them and their families. With law offices on Mercer Island and in Vancouver, our accident attorneys handle cases all over Washington State. Holland Law Group serves Seattle, Bellevue, Tacoma and neighboring cities.
We Investigate the Cause of Your Construction Accident
A typical construction site is busy, and workers often are in close proximity to large, heavy machinery, like forklifts and trucks. They also work with dangerous tools that can cause serious injuries. Construction workers frequently may work at heights, which places them at a higher risk of falls. Additionally, sites are often strewn with live electrical wires, debris and large holes in the ground. All posing a serious risk of injury or death.
Many construction site accidents are related to falls, being struck by an object, electrocution, and being caught in or between objects or materials. These are referred to as construction’s “fatal four” because they cause more than half of construction worker deaths, reports OSHA.
We’ll help establish the cause of your accident and any contributing factors. This can be important because it may help you recover additional compensation if a party other than your employer or a co-worker caused your accident.
Helping You Explore Your Legal Options after a Construction Accident
At the Holland Law Group, our construction accident lawyers in Mercer Island investigate the details of our clients’ accidents to establish the causes and contributing factors. Once we complete our investigation or your accident, we’ll walk you through your legal options and help you pursue them to get the benefits you need.
There are two types of legal action that an injured construction worker may take. The first is filing for workers’ compensation benefits. Under Washington’s workers’ compensation laws, you are eligible for compensation, regardless of who caused the accident. Workers’ comp pays for medical treatment related to the injury and can provide disability benefits while recovering or if permanently injured.
The other type of legal action workers might take after construction accidents is filing a third-party claim against a party other than an employer or co-worker. Third parties can include subcontractors, manufacturers of defective tools, companies involved in the maintenance and repair of tools and equipment, and other parties. Our firm will help you identify any third parties against which you may take legal action.
If another contractor is to blame for your accident, for example – such as if you suffered electrical shock because a subcontractor negligently failed to shut off electricity as you were working on an electrical component – you may pursue a third-party suit against that party in addition to recovering workers’ compensation benefits.
Speak with a Construction Accident Lawyer on Mercer Island Today
Our attorneys assist injured construction workers identify whether a third party is to blame for their construction accidents to help them maximize the compensation they recover. We are committed to ensuring our clients utilize all available legal options and will assist them throughout the legal process.
Discuss your case with an attorney at our Mercer Island law firm to understand what types of compensation are available in your case.