Chicago Construction Accident Lawyer

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If you're a Chicago construction accident victim, hire an experienced construction accident attorney. They'll help you get maximum compensation from responsible parties for construction site injuries. A Chicago construction injury attorney will protect your interests, and guide you on benefits, bills, lost wages, and damages.

Look for a qualified lawyer with experience who understands state laws about construction accident lawsuits. Make sure they only get paid if you win the compensation claim.

Discuss personal workplace injury claim case details with your lawyer, including evidence, witnesses, medical attention, and damages. The law firm's legal team will examine medical records, prepare for trial, and engage in negotiations for a settlement or award.

The experienced Chicago personal injury lawyers at Ktenas provide legal services for construction accident claims. Call us at (312) 300-2515 to schedule a free consultation.

Overview of Construction Accidents

Construction project work is a dangerous occupation in the Windy City and throughout the United States. The job involves managing heavy machinery and navigating height challenges like tall cranes. Many companies and construction managers don't adequately train workers on the equipment manufacturers' safety regulations, especially if they don't speak English well. Some companies use defective products and construction equipment and prioritize profits over people.

Workers' compensation benefits provide financial assistance for injured employees who can no longer work or face a long rehabilitation due to a catastrophic injury. However, individuals must complete paperwork promptly after a severe injury for these compensation coverages after work-related incidents.

Victims of Construction Accidents

When someone gets injured at work, workers' compensation law is there to help. compensation insurance pays for loss of income and medical bills caused by the construction accident injury.

This financial compensation helps injured construction workers get back on their feet and return to work without financial difficulty. If they can't work because of their temporary disability, they need proper medical care and physical therapy to fully recover.

Chicago Construction Accident Lawyer working with a construction accident victim

During their time of disability, workers' compensation provides two-thirds of their average weekly wage income to help cover some of their lost wages until they can go back to work.

Causes of Construction Accidents

Construction accidents are common in the US. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) enforces safety regulations in workplaces, but they only have 3,000 inspectors for 130 million workers in 10 million worksites.

Workplace accidents are responsible for over 50% of the almost 6,000 worker fatalities each year. Common types of construction accidents include falls, being struck by objects, crane incidents, electrocution, hazardous substance mishaps, and becoming trapped in machinery.

Other construction accidents may involve falling into open holes in walls or floors from elevated surfaces like roofs or scaffolding, the collapse of scaffolding due to unsecured ladders, or inadequate housekeeping. These types of construction accidents can have severe consequences, including injury or even death.

OSHA has guidelines for employers on record-keeping, maintenance, and monitoring to prevent these types of construction accident deaths.

Common Types of Construction Accidents

Construction accidents in Chicago often involve falls from heights due to crane accidents or scaffolding accidents as a result of scaffolding collapse, which can have devastating consequences. Workers need reliable fall-prevention equipment when working on ladders, scaffolding, and other high-rise tools to mitigate significant risks.

The force of a workplace fatality fall can cause severe bodily trauma, fatal injuries, and lasting emotional distress. Careless behavior or negligence from employers or supervisors can cause objects to fall onto workers, resulting in serious injury.

Victims can also become entangled with cords or cables due to faulty equipment, leading to even more severe trauma. Proper safety precautions must be taken when using materials to ensure maximum protection against injury or death.

How to Claim Compensation after a Construction Accident

If you are a construction employee and get hurt in a construction site accident, you need to know your legal options for compensation. Construction sites are dangerous places, and employers must protect their workers.

Injured workers should speak with an experienced attorney for advice and guidance on making a construction accident claim. These construction injury lawyers can provide invaluable support during the personal injury lawsuit process and help claimants receive the full amount of fair compensation they deserve for physical and emotional suffering.

Financial Recovery After a Construction Accident

In the event of a construction accident in Chicago resulting in injury to oneself or a loved one, it may be advisable to seek the services of a knowledgeable construction accident attorney.

Compensation for construction site accident cases often encompasses both economic and non-economic damages. Economic damages are quantifiable, such as medical expenses or lost wages. Non-economic damages are intangible, like pain and suffering.

Clinical Costs

Your wounds from the construction accident might be severe and need medical consideration. The medical bills, depending upon the gravity of the circumstances of your wounds, might be substantial. Also, healing and rehabilitation costs will also need to be covered by compensation.

Present and Future Lost Wages

Your wounds may make you unable to contribute to the family like before. In the time it takes you to recover, there will be no constant income flowing in. It is conceivable that because of your wounds, you may never again be able to work in a similar capacity at the construction site or earn a similar amount.

The compensatory damages should compensate for the present, and future wages lost to give financial security to the person and their family in question.

Pain and Suffering

The wounds you bear may cause you incredible pain and suffering. The suffering may not merely be physical, and there may be emotional injury caused by the accident. Though your mental and emotional pain cannot be removed or healed, you can get monetary rewards and acknowledgment to compensate for it. A Chicago construction accident lawyer can help you determine the value of your injuries and pain.

Loss of Consortium

Frequently, in a construction accident, individuals don’t make it out alive. The accident may have been incredibly disastrous, and the victim may not have persevered through the grave injuries. In the event that the victim of a construction accident dies, the case would fit the bill for a wrongful death lawsuit, which can be filed by close relatives of the deceased. Compensation for the life lost and the suffering of the grieving family may have to be paid by the at-fault party.

If you wish to file a construction accident lawsuit, counsel a personal injury lawyer who can endeavor to get you the best settlement for your case and distinguish extra factors that you can claim damages for.

Chicago construction accidents lawyer

Construction workers who are injured during a construction job can receive compensation for medical costs and lost wages. To do so, they must hire a skilled construction accident injury attorney.

However, there are fees associated with knowledgeable construction accident lawyer services. In Chicago, personal injury attorneys typically receive a percentage of the settlement or jury verdict as a contingent fee in construction accident cases.

Some construction injury law firms may require a retainer fee upfront. Injured workers should be aware of the wide range of costs and seek an attorney with a good record of success and who offers quality service at a reasonable price.

Laws Regarding Construction Site Safety

Keeping in mind the dangers that workers at a construction site are exposing themselves to, the government has taken steps to ensure that they are provided adequate safety gear and that construction companies are bound to provide them with the highest working conditions possible.

The OSHA (Occupational Safety Hazards Act) already established several laws for employers to follow to ensure the welfare of employees across all industries. Some of which apply directly to construction companies are listed below.

Proper Signage

It is imperative that the correct signage is used across construction sites to warn employees, and other people on the site, of the potential danger ahead. Signs warning people of slippery or wet floors, of naked electrical wiring, toxic material, loud sounds, steep drops, broken stairs, etc. are supposed to be erected in plain sight throughout the construction site.

Other signage to be placed inside a construction are signs reminding people to wear safety gear and equipment, directions to the nearest fire exit, and warnings of excessive loads. These signs are supposed to be color-coded for better understanding and communication.

Proper Safety Equipment

It is the responsibility of the employer to provide the employees with proper safety equipment and gear that they must wear on the job. Employees working at great heights are to be provided safety harnesses that would prevent falls, and those working underground must be given masks to protect them from fumes and excessive dust. Jackets must be provided to make them more visible in low lighting, and helmets must be mandated to prevent harm from being struck by a falling object.

Proper Training for Equipment

Construction sites are littered with heavy, ominous-looking machinery. It is mandatory that the employer formally and extensively train the employee before assigning him control of working the machines. The correct usage and troubleshooting must be taught, and SOPs must be established, so the machines and the untrained worker do not become a danger to everybody on the site.

Access to Medical Services and First Aid

First aid and basic medical services must be provided at the site by the employers to ensure that the construction workers have immediate assistance in case something happens.

If these requirements are not met, the employer is liable and answerable in court and is fully responsible for the losses and injury that the employee bears under their employment.

Insurance Companies and Coverage for Construction Accidents

Construction sites pose serious dangers that can lead to injury or workplace deaths To cover costs related to accidents, construction sector insurance is crucial. Construction companies are required to have workers' compensation and general liability insurance.

construction lawyer

Workers' compensation covers medical expenses and lost wages, while general liability covers property damage and other costs not included in workers' compensation. Insurance carriers may try to minimize payouts, so injured workers need to seek advice from a team of construction accident lawyers to protect their legal interests.

Workers’ Compensation in the Construction Industry

The construction profession is risky and workers may get injured. Workers’ compensation protects construction workers in case of injuries on construction sites. State laws determine the benefits available, including medical expenses, economic losses, and disability or death benefits.

If a construction worker gets injured, it's best to consult with a fatal construction accident injuries lawyer to ensure full financial recovery as per state law.

The Role of OSHA in the Prevention of Construction Accidents

OSHA is a federal agency that enforces safety standards and safety training in the workplace. Construction work carries a high risk of injury or death, so OSHA is especially important in preventing accidents.

The organization's main goal is to ensure employers provide safe and healthy working conditions by implementing safety protocols, conducting inspections, and issuing penalties for violations.

OSHA can issue citations and fines when a construction company has improper safety measures and may even order worksites to shut down for serious offenses until safety improvements are made.

Talk to a Chicago Construction Accident Lawyer

Safety is crucial in construction work. To prevent accidents and serious injuries, all parties involved must take necessary precautions. Wear proper gear like hard hats, goggles, and gloves at all times. Stay alert on construction sites and report any unsafe conditions to the authorities.

Ktenas Injury Attorneys recognizes the distressing nature of construction accidents and offers assistance to those who have been injured.

Contact us for a free, no-obligation consultation!

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