Parkville, MD Construction Accident Lawyer

Working in the construction industry is not without risks, but certain risks are simply unacceptable. If you are hurt in a construction-related accident, talk to an attorney about your rights and possible compensation.

Depending on your situation, there might be several legal options for compensation at your disposal. Often, injured workers must submit Workers’ Compensation claims and cannot sue their employers. Under the right conditions, you can circumvent this rule and sue for significant compensation. Depending on how you were injured or who hired you, you might sue general contractors, subcontractors, or even property owners. Common construction accident claims involve defective tools, serious safety violations, and falling injuries. Your damages might be rather substantial, especially if you are too injured to return to work.

For a free claims review, call (410) 694-7291 and speak to our construction accident lawyers at the offices of Rice, Murtha & Psoras.

Suing for Damages After a Construction Accident in Parkville, MD

It would be best to speak to a lawyer as soon as possible after being hurt on a construction site. Injured workers might have multiple legal options to help them get fair compensation. In many cases, workers must file Workers’ Compensation claims. These claims are often mandatory if the worker is eligible for Workers’ Compensation. A major aspect of these claims is that claimants are barred from suing their employers, making Workers’ Compensation the only available legal option.

Depending on how you were hired and injured, you might be able to file a lawsuit instead of a Workers’ Compensation claim. Even if Workers’ Compensation covers you, you can sue your employer if they deliberately caused your accident. Employers cannot use the legal system to avoid liability for their personal wrongdoings.

Many construction workers can file injury lawsuits because they are legally considered independent contractors, not employees. As such, they are not covered by Workers’ Compensation and can sue the person who hired them, among others.

Who Should Be Held Liable for Your Construction Accident in Parkville, MD?

If you want to file a lawsuit for your construction accident, you must figure out who the opposing party is. For some, this is obvious from the start. For others, some investigation by our construction accident attorneys might be necessary to determine whom to name in the lawsuit.

General and Subcontractors

In a lot of cases, injured construction workers sue the general contractor or subcontractor who hired them for the job. These contractors are often in charge of certain aspects of the construction project, meaning they are likely responsible if something goes wrong and an accident occurs.

General contractors are usually in charge of the overall project. They are often the first person hired and tasked with hiring additional workers to perform the work. For example, a general contractor might hire electricians, plumbers, and masonry workers to perform specific tasks needed to complete the project. As such, when an accident occurs somewhere on the construction site, there is a good chance that the general contractor is liable.

Another possibility is that a subcontractor hired you. Subcontractors are similarly in charge of the construction job, but only select portions. For example, an electrical subcontractor might only be responsible for wiring a building for electricity. If you were hired by a subcontractor and injured on the job, the subcontractor might be liable in a lawsuit.

Property Owners

Although property owners do not often take an active role in construction projects, they might be liable under specific circumstances. If the property owner did not warn contractors about certain hazards on the premises, the owner might be liable if those hazards lead to accidents and injuries.

For example, you might be a roofer working on new shingling on a building. The property owner might know that a certain part of the roof is very unstable due to water damage and wood rot, but they fail to tell you. If you fall through the roof and hurt yourself, the property owner might be liable.

If the property owner did take a more active role in the construction, they might further open themselves up to liability. Suppose the property owner decided to provide their own tools to workers and demand that only their tools be used. Next, suppose the tools were defective and caused an accident. In that case, the property owner might be liable for damages.

Other Parties

Parties not directly involved with the construction project might be liable too. This is common when workers are injured because of faulty, damaged, or defective tools or machinery. The manufacturer of the defective items can be sued and held liable. Also, anyone in the chain of sale, including retailers who sold you the defective items, can be held liable.

Common Construction Accidents and Injuries in Parkville, MD

Construction sites are usually full of a million things going on at once. As such, there are innumerable ways in which workers might be injured. Below are only a few of the more common claims in construction accident cases. Talk to a lawyer about your injuries to determine how to best approach your case.

As briefly mentioned before, construction workers might be injured by faulty tools or equipment. Power tools like circular saws, nail guns, and power sanders are useful but dangerous when not working properly. If the tools arrived to you damaged or defective, the manufacturer should be held liable.

Many, many accidents are related to safety violations. The construction industry is heavily regulated, and there are a plethora of rules and regulations. For example, a lack of safety gear, unsafe work conditions, or inadequate training might be considered serious violations. These conditions frequently lead to accidents and injuries.

Falls are very common on construction sites. Workers are often atop ladders and scaffolding or working from rooftops or high windows. If proper safety precautions are not taken, a worker might fall and be badly hurt. Falls can be extremely serious, and workers might be permanently injured and unable to work.

Call Our Parkville, MD Construction Accident Attorneys Today

For a free case assessment, call (410) 694-7291 and discuss your situation with our construction accident lawyers at the offices of Rice, Murtha & Psoras.