WHAT IS THIRD PARTY NEGLIGENCE IN CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS?

If you’re ever injured as a worker on a construction site and your employer carries workers’ compensation Insurance, your next inquiry should be whether or not a third party is to blame for your injury. 

If a third party is to blame for your injury, you could have a claim against them and they would not have a workers’ compensation bar necessarily under your employer’s workers’ compensation policy. 

You should always investigate the facts surrounding any incident to see if you can pursue a third party claim for the negligent actions of another entity that was on the construction site.

Call (888) 292-1049 to speak with workplace injury lawyers for free. 

THIRD PARTY LIABILITY IN A CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT

For an accident victim to be able to recover any compensation through a personal injury claim, they must be able to show that another party’s negligence was the direct cause of their injuries. 

Establishing negligence in any case requires showing that the party from which you are seeking compensation deviated from the required standard of conduct in a given situation, and that this deviation was the direct cause of your subsequent injuries. 

In other words, the party that was supposed to be handling their responsibilities made a mistake and you were the one who paid for it; ie-negligence. 

CAN A THIRD PARTY BE HELD LIABLE FOR A CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT?

In short, yes – a third party can be held liable for a construction accident. 

For many on-the-job accidents, workers are not able to sue their employees because of something called workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that many employers carry that reimburses employees for any medical bills and lost wages from an injury sustained while at work. The trade-off, however, is that employees are typically not allowed to file a suit against their employers if they are receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

If workers’ compensation doesn’t cover the extent of the losses that a victim experiences, then holding a third party liable may be a potential solution. There are many factors that can come into play when it comes to causing a construction accident, and one of those factors could be the negligence of a third party.

EXAMPLES OF NEGLIGENT CONDUCT IN THIRD PARTY CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENTS

Many different types of accidents can occur on a construction site, which means that there are numerous different examples of negligent conduct that can cause those accidents. 

For example, a civilian driving their personal vehicle may collide with you while you are driving a work truck carrying a heavy load of equipment. 

Construction sites also typically require lots of heavy machinery to operate. If one of these pieces of equipment malfunctions while you are actively using it, the consequences can be severe.

WHICH THIRD PARTIES ARE OFTEN SUED IN CONSTRUCTION SITE ACCIDENTS?

There are a few main parties that are often sued in construction site accidents, including: 

General Contractor

Construction operations can involve a few levels of contractors and subcontractors. If you are working on a site under the employment of a subcontractor, but the negligence of the general contractor creates the unsafe condition that caused your injuries, then it may be possible to file a third-party claim against that general contractor.

Equipment Manufacturer

The companies that manufacture the equipment that makes construction sites run are responsible for selling safe, well-constructed equipment and providing all the proper warnings for the potential dangers if used incorrectly. 

If a manufacturing or design defect, or a failure to provide adequate warnings ends up causing an accident that leads to injury, then it is possible that the manufacturer of that equipment could be held liable.

Civilian

In certain cases, someone who is unrelated entirely to the construction site could cause an accident. For example, a drunk driver who is driving near the construction site and fails to obey a traffic sign and collides with a worker or piece of equipment could be held liable for the damages that they cause.

MOST COMMON SAFETY CODE VIOLATIONS ON CONSTRUCTION SITES

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) keeps track of safety code violations for construction sites as a way to encourage employers to maintain safe working environments. Some of the more commonly cited violations include:

Fall Protection

Many construction sites involve being elevated above the ground in some way, whether it be working on a skyscraper or just working on the roof of a one-story building. Because of this, it is important that employers provide the proper training and equipment to prevent falls from happening in the first place and mitigate the damage that can happen when they do occur.

Eye and Face Protection

Wearing things like goggles or other face protection may not seem like a big deal at the moment but they can prevent serious injuries. It is the responsibility of both employers and employees to make sure they have and utilize the proper eye and face protection while on the job.

Machinery and Machine Guarding

Construction site equipment is heavy and very powerful. However, this means that they need to be used very carefully and that all the proper precautions need to be followed to avoid a catastrophic result.

HOW TO SUE FOR WRONGFUL DEATH IN A CONSTRUCTION SITE FALL?

There are a few important steps involved in suing for wrongful death.

Contact Wrongful Death Attorney

If you think you may have a viable case, it is important that you contact an attorney who has experience in this area of the law. An experienced attorney will be able to walk you through the following steps and ensure that you have the best chance when seeking the compensation that you deserve.

Open a Probate Estate

Because the deceased cannot file a lawsuit themselves, their estate must act on their behalf. To bring a wrongful death claim, the deceased’s probate estate needs to be open.

Determine Whether You Are Eligible to File

If you are an immediate family member, you may be able to file a claim. However, as mentioned before, states have differing laws on the rights of extended family members, so discussing the laws of your state with your attorney is an important preliminary step.

Negotiate With The Insurance Company

In most cases, the person at fault will have some form of insurance to cover potential incidents. Thus, seeking maximum compensation for your case will come down to negotiating with the insurance company. The insurance company is a business, and they will attempt to pay out the smallest amount of money that they can, which makes it important that you have an attorney by your side to make sure you are treated fairly throughout the process.

HOW LONG DOES THE CLAIM PROCESS FOR CONSTRUCTION INJURIES TAKE?

Because each case is unique and dependent upon a number of different factors and circumstances, it is impossible to give an accurate estimate for how long a case might take. However, victims should be prepared for the case to take some time.

NEED HELP? ZINDA LAW GROUP WILL HELP YOU THROUGH THE DIFFICULT PROCESS

Our dedicated team of attorneys at Zinda Law Group may be able to help you or your loved one after a construction accident. 

We believe victims shouldn’t have to worry about affording legal representation, which is why we work on a contingency fee basis. You don’t owe us anything unless we win your case.  That’s our No Win, No Fee Guarantee.

Call us today at (888) 292-1049 for a free consultation with one of our construction accident lawyers.