If you’ve been hurt in a construction accident, you need to know how to get FULL compensation for your injuries and losses. Find out by consulting with a San Francisco construction accident attorney.
Anyone who works in the construction industry knows how dangerous the job is. On-the-job injuries almost seem inevitable, and while most workers know that they can get work comp, few realize that they might be entitled to more comprehensive financial compensation.
If you were injured while working on a construction site, you might have grounds to file a personal injury claim and recover more money for your losses than workers comp will ever provide. This is only possible when a construction accident meets certain criteria, however, and it’s not always clear when the necessary conditions are met.
If you think you might be entitled to more for your industrial accident, contact a San Francisco construction accident lawyer from Haffner Law. We can help you determine how strong your case is and exactly how much your claim could be worth.
When Can I File a Personal Injury Claim for a Construction Accident?
After they’ve been hurt on the job, many injured workers are told that they have to settle for what workers comp provides. In most cases this is true, as workers comp laws were specifically designed to shield employers from lawsuits filed by injured employees.
That being said, there are some caveats to the rule, and if your construction accident meets any of the below criteria, you might have the right to file a personal injury claim against the negligent party:
- Your employer doesn’t carry workers comp insurance
- Your employer was willfully negligent, such as by ignoring an already-cited OSHA violation
- Your employer put you in a dangerous situation with the specific intention of hurting you
- Your injury or illness was caused by a toxic substance or chemical
- A product manufacturer’s faulty equipment failed and caused your accident, such as defective safety equipment or poorly made heavy machinery
- A third party outside of your employer caused the accident, such as a contractor or passerby
Investigating the Construction Accident
In many of the scenarios listed above, the case will not be clear-cut at first glance. This makes it necessary for your San Francisco construction injury attorney to investigate what happened and who was responsible.
Identifying everyone responsible for the construction accident could make it clear that you’re entitled to more than just your workers comp claim.
These are just a few example scenarios and who might be responsible for them beyond your employer:
- Explosions and Fires – The property owner for not informing your company of the hazards present or a product manufacturer if a malfunction led to the explosion or fire
- Falling from Heights – A product manufacturer if your safety equipment failed or a passerby if he or she did something to upset your balance
- Vehicle Accident – An outside driver passing through the site, especially likely if you were performing roadwork
- Electrocutions – The manufacturer of faulty electrical equipment or a property owner for not addressing electrical hazards that were present
- Chemical Exposure – The manufacturer of a toxic substance that led to an illness or burn injury, such as asbestos causing mesothelioma
Get More Than What Workers Comp Covers
While workers comp is a great stop-gap measure, the problem is that it only covers certain injury-related damages. You can expect to have most of your medical bills covered and a portion of your lost wages, but not much else.
You should always file a workers comp claim, but you should also consult with a lawyer to determine whether you might have grounds to also pursue a personal injury claim.
If your construction accident meets the required criteria, you might be able to seek compensation for all of the damages and losses you’ve experienced that weren’t covered by workers comp, such as the following examples:
- Your remaining medical bills for treatments, medication, and equipment
- The portion of your lost wages not covered by workers comp
- Transportation expenses and home renovations required by a new disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Lost enjoyment of life
Connect with a San Francisco Construction Injury Attorney
Haffner Law knows personal injury law, and we can help you recover the damages you’re owed for your jobsite accident. Even if you’ve been told that you can’t file a claim beyond workers comp, you might still have options available to you.
To schedule a free consultation with a San Francisco construction accident lawyer, simply complete the form below or call 1-844-HAFFNER (423-3637).
