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Charleston is a thriving city that sees its share of construction developments. While these developments are a sign of healthy economics, they also come with their share of dangers. Workers can easily get injured while working on job sites.
If you were injured while working on a construction site, you may be entitled to compensation if your environment was unsafe. Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney consults with injured construction workers like you for help with medical bills, lost wages and other damages. Give us a call at 843-701-8029 today to request a case review.
Common Types of Construction Injury Accidents in Charleston
There are many types of injuries that can occur on a construction site. Here are some of the most common.
- Falls: Workers may fall from ladders, scaffolding, and roofs. This can be due to cluttered working areas, or unsafe and/or slippery conditions.
- Getting struck by an object: Tools or debris may fall on a worker from a considerable height. The velocity of the fall can cause severe head and bodily injuries.
- Electrocutions: Workers may be electrocuted if they are exposed to live power lines.
- Getting caught between objects: Workers may get caught between equipment and other objects on the site leading to amputations and other sorts of injuries.
- Forklift accidents and other work vehicle collisions: There are several vehicles that may be present at a construction site including forklifts, tractors, and skid steers. They may collide with each other, hit scaffolding, or run into workers on the site.
- Improper training: If employees are not well trained, they may create a situation that is dangerous for themselves and others.
- Fires and explosions: Construction projects typically involve working with gas lines. If a leak occurs, it can cause carbon monoxide poisoning, fires, and explosions.
- OSHA violations: The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) puts several regulations in place to ensure a safe and healthful work environment on the job. Construction companies may violate OSHA rules by failing to provide workers with proper equipment and by not communicating with them about potential hazards. This increases the risk of an accident occurring.
How Can I Be Compensated for a Construction Accident?
There are two main avenues for workers to be compensated after being injured at a construction site accident. These include:
Workers’ compensation
Most construction companies carry workers’ compensation insurance. Construction workers that are injured on the job can file a claim to qualify for medical benefits and lost wages. There are even certain instances where contractors may be eligible for compensation through the company.
A personal injury claim
A worker may also file a personal injury claim if they feel their injury was due to the company’s negligence. For example, if the company created unsafe conditions for the worker such as failing to provide proper equipment or not communicating certain hazards of the job, it may be found that they acted with negligence therefore causing the injury. A personal injury claim may be filed in conjunction with a worker’s comp claim. It may also be a good solution for independent contractors.
In some instances, the construction company may not be responsible for the worker’s injuries. Here are examples of other parties that may be targeted for damages.
- A manufacturer or vendor of defective products or equipment that was used on the work site
- Negligent subcontractors who hired the construction company
- Architects or engineers that created faulty designs
- Suppliers who failed to properly secure their products at the work site
- The owner of the construction site
Your Charleston construction accident lawyer will help you determine at-fault parties, so you know who to target for damages.
Filing for Workers’ Comp Following a Construction Accident
Workers’ comp claims are not always approved. To ensure you get compensated, you should take the following steps:
- Report the incident to a supervisor as soon as possible.
- Take pictures of the accident and collect names of witnesses to provide evidence.
- Attach all pieces of evidence in an email documenting the details of the injury. This will create a paper trail for your claim.
- It’s important to see a doctor immediately after the accident happened. This way you can establish that your injuries were a direct result of the accident. If you fail to do so, the defendant may try to say your injury was caused by something else. The insurance will have a list of approved doctors to choose from. If you are not happy with the care you get, you may see another doctor as well but if they doctor is not on the approved list, it will be an out-of-pocket expense.
- File a claim using Form-50 from the South Carolina Workers’ Compensation Commission. If your employer says they already filed a claim, ask for a copy.
Be aware that an employer may not want you to file a workers’ comp claim because they don’t want their rates to increase. They may drag their feet on completing paperwork on their side. They may try to talk you out of your claim or they may disagree with it.
If your employer is giving you a hard time about getting compensated for your claim, call a Charleston construction accident lawyer. Trey Harrell will assist you in getting the representation you require.
Contact a Charleston Construction Accident Lawyer
You didn’t choose to get injured on your construction site, but you can choose a reliable workplace accident lawyer in Charleston with experience in construction injuries. Trey Harrell Auto Accident and Personal Injury Attorney takes on the complex workers’ comp and personal injury cases to give clients better peace of mind.
Trey Harrell will handle your case carefully to increase the chances it succeeds. Plus, we won’t see a dime unless we help you win your claim.
Injured in a construction accident? Don’t delay, call Trey!
