How can a construction accident lawyer help you? A construction accident can leave you dealing with severe or life-changing injuries, excruciating pain, and extensive medical bills. Dealing with insurance companies can make life even more difficult as you try to heal. Thankfully, with an attorney who is experienced in construction accident law on your side, you will not have to go through this devastating ordeal alone. Instead, your lawyer can guide you through the complex legal process that often follows these incidents. Reach out to a Grand Rapids construction accident lawyer.
You may wonder if you need to seek legal help after a construction accident. This article details why you should reach out to an attorney and how they can help you fight for the justice and financial damages you deserve.
A Construction Accident Lawyer Can Help You Figure Out If You Have a Viable Legal Claim
Construction accidents can happen for any number of reasons. However, these incidents generally tend to result from:
- Slip and falls
- Crane accidents
- Falls from significant heights
- Fires and explosions
- Power tool accidents
- Overexertion
- Falling debris
- Forklift accidents
- Scaffolding accidents
- Motor vehicle collisions
- Electrocutions
- Machinery accidents
- Exposure to dangerous chemicals
- Caught in-between accidents
Determining whether you have a valid legal claim following a construction accident requires a thorough investigation. Reach out to an experienced construction accident attorney as soon as possible after the incident. A legal professional can review your accident, make sure the evidence is preserved, determine whether you can take legal action, and help you figure out your legal remedies.
A Construction Accident Lawyer Can Help You Determine Your Legal Options
A workers’ compensation claim is often the only remedy a worker can pursue against their employer after a construction accident. Yet, there are some exceptions to this rule, and construction workers are free to pursue legal remedies against other parties that were involved in the incident.
Workers’ compensation insurance provides wage and medical benefits to those workers who become sick or injured on the job. Workers can receive these benefits regardless of fault. However, in exchange for these benefits, employees relinquish their rights to sue their employer for monetary damages following the accident. If your employer does not carry proper workers’ compensation insurance, you can file a lawsuit against them. You may also be able to file a lawsuit if your employer intentionally tried to hurt you, or blatantly disregarded an obvious danger, knowing you would be hurt.
Workers’ compensation is not the “exclusive remedy” against third parties. Many different contractors and subcontractors may be on a job site at any time, and there are complex rules about when you can hold these other parties responsible for injuries their actions cause. Certain parties can be held responsible for ensuring the entire job site is safe, while another subcontractor may be liable if its employee created a dangerous condition that caused your injury.
To determine which of these legal options applies to your case, speak with a knowledgeable construction accident attorney regarding your accident. A lawyer can review the facts, determine your best legal option, and go after the financial damages you deserve.
A Construction Accident Lawyer Can Calculate Your Injuries and Losses
Due to the nature of a construction accident, injuries that can result from these incidents are wide-ranging and often quite serious or even fatal. Some injuries that are frequently caused by a construction accident include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Fractured bones
- Neck injuries
- Back injuries
- Spinal cord trauma and paralysis
- Amputations
- Significant burns
- Lacerations
- Internal organ damage and bleeding
- Facial trauma and eye injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- Toxic exposure to chemicals
- Death
Depending on the harm suffered, the injured person may require medical treatments or experience physical limitations for the rest of their life. Thus, you should consult with an experienced construction accident attorney following a construction accident. These lawyers can help you determine the extent of your losses following the accident and the total monetary damages you need to help cover your necessary medical care and accommodations now and in the future.
A Construction Accident Attorney Can Recover Your Financial Damages
If you were harmed in a construction accident due to a negligent third party, you may be able to pursue a lawsuit for financial damages beyond the limits of workers’ compensation. These damages fall into two categories:
Economic Damages
These damages refer to payment for the financial losses that result from an accident. They include:
- Medical expenses related to doctor visits, hospital stays, prescription medications, emergency services, ambulance rides, surgeries, rehabilitative therapy, and other types of treatments
- Ongoing medical care
- Lost wages
- Reduced earning capacity
- Property damages, including replacement and repair costs
- Domestic replacement services, such as childcare services
- Other financial losses resulting from the incident
Non-economic Damages
These damages include payment for the personal, non-monetary losses that result from an accident. These losses include:
- Pain and suffering
- Mental trauma from the incident
- Inconvenience because of the injuries that resulted
- Damage to relationships with loved ones
- Loss of enjoyment and quality of life
- Disfigurement and physical impairment
To determine which financial damages you can pursue following your construction accident, you should discuss your case with a construction accident attorney. The lawyers at Gruel Mills know Michigan’s laws regarding these damages and can determine which damages apply to your situation to help you go after the maximum compensation possible.
A Construction Accident Attorney Can Determine How Much Time You Have to File Your Legal Claim
There is a limit on how long those harmed in a construction accident have to pursue legal action, called the statute of limitations. If individuals do not file their lawsuit within that period, they can never pursue legal action to obtain the money they deserve.
In Michigan, the statute of limitations is generally three years. There are some exceptions to this rule that may allow the claim to be filed later, but there are also other laws that may require a notice to be served on the defendant much sooner. That is why you should not wait to discuss your case with an experienced construction accident attorney. When you work with a legal professional, they can determine how much time you have to file your claim, then prepare and submit all your legal documents to the proper court before the statute of limitations runs out.
Although you may think you have plenty of time to file your case, you should not wait to pursue it. Over time, there is a higher likelihood of evidence disappearing, memories of the incident fading, and witnesses no longer being able to testify on your behalf. These factors can hurt your legal claim and your chances of getting the money you need.
A Construction Accident Attorney Can Help Protect Your Legal Rights
After a construction accident, you are already going through a difficult time. The last thing you want to worry about is investigating the incident to find the evidence to show what happened, who was at fault, and the extent of your damages. Fortunately, with an experienced construction accident attorney, you will not have to handle this yourself. Your lawyer can:
Thoroughly Investigate the Scene of the Accident
After an accident, if it is possible, gather as much evidence from the scene as you can, including photos of:
- Your visible injuries;
- The accident scene and surrounding areas;
- The construction equipment or materials that contributed to the accident;
- Personal property damages; and
- Anything else that can help show what happened.
However, do not stress if you cannot gather this evidence because of the severity of your injuries. A construction accident attorney can handle this investigation process for you and work to obtain the proof required to show fault and your damages, allowing you to focus on your recovery.
Speak to Individuals Who Saw the Accident
Your lawyer can reach out to people who were at the scene and saw your accident happen. These individuals can often provide your attorney with further information regarding the incident and offer testimony that can help substantiate your legal claim.
Help Gather Relevant Documents to Support Your Case
Your lawyers can also help you obtain documents and other evidence associated with your case, including the police report, medical records, video footage of the incident, and any other evidence that can help them prove what happened, who is at fault, and the extent of your injuries.
A Construction Accident Attorney Can Help You Take on the Insurance Company
Employers and businesses often carry liability insurance to help take care of anyone who is injured on a job site. However, insurance companies obviously make more profit if they pay out the least amount possible on a claim. After a construction accident, it is thus common for insurers and their adjusters to try to reduce the amount of your claim or place blame for the incident on you or someone else they do not insure.
When you work with an experienced construction accident lawyer, you will not have to take on these insurance companies by yourself. Instead, your lawyer can handle all the discussions and negotiations with insurers and ensure you are fairly compensated for your injuries and damages.
A Construction Accident Attorney Can Help You Fight for the Justice You Deserve
While money will never undo the losses, injuries, and stress caused by a construction accident, compensation for your losses can help you rebuild your life. Importantly, with an experienced construction accident attorney fighting for your rights, you will not have to go after compensation alone.
Instead, a lawyer can:
- Determine whether you have a viable claim and the legal options you can pursue;
- Answer your challenging questions and provide the legal support you need;
- Investigate and analyze the construction incident in detail and gather the evidence needed to prove liability and damages;
- Determine which parties were responsible for the incident and hold all of them accountable for your injuries and other losses;
- Handle all the settlement negotiations and fight for a fair offer; and
- Proceed to trial and go after maximum damages if the insurance company or the other defendant(s) will not settle for a fair amount.
If you or a loved one was harmed in a construction accident, do not wait to obtain the legal help you need. Instead, contact an experienced personal injury lawyer at Gruel Mills today for your free case consultation. We can help fight for the outcome you deserve.
