Construction sites have dangerous objects, materials, and tools everywhere you look. Loose wires, high ledges, power tools, and cranes can all pose a serious risk of injury to electricians, contractors, carpenters, masons, and other construction workers. If you were injured at a construction site or have a loved one who was injured while working construction, contact our Irving, TX construction accident injury lawyers today.
The Queenan Law Firm’s injury attorneys file lawsuits on behalf of injury victims and their families to help construction workers get compensation for injuries and disabilities caused by work accidents. For a free legal consultation on your case, contact us today at (817) 476-1797.
Can You Sue for Construction Accidents in Irving, TX
Construction workers may not qualify for workers’ compensation in many cases, but that can be helpful if you need to sue your employer for injuries at a construction site. Independent contractors are automatically excluded from workers’ comp. coverage in most cases since the coverage is designed only for employees. If you are an employee of a construction company or a contracting firm, you might have workers’ comp. because of your employment, but you may also opt out of workers’ comp. in Texas. In either case, you could be entitled to sue for injuries after an accident.
Rather than relying on workers’ comp., you can often receive higher damages in a lawsuit. Lawsuits can cover medical expenses and lost wages, which are also covered in workers’ comp. claims, but workers’ comp. often limits coverage to 66.7% of your normal wages, whereas lawsuits do not. Lawsuits also allow you to claim pain and suffering damages, which can be a significant part of the damages in an injury case.
Talk to a lawyer about your options after a workplace injury. In many cases, a lawsuit will be the best option to help you get compensation, but you must be able to prove that someone was at fault to get you compensation. If the accident that injured you was just a freak accident or cannot be attributed to an employer’s or a coworker’s errors, you may not be able to prove fault – a necessary step in suing for injuries.
Different Types of Construction Accidents You Can Claim Damages for in Irving, TX
There are many different types of accidents that happen on construction sites, often to people in different roles at the site. General contractors, masons, and carpenters can often be injured by power tools, whether they be unsafe power tools or tools that were not being used properly. Electricians and other workers can be injured by live wires or wires that get cut during construction. Explosions and fires can break out among welders and workers dealing with the storage and transportation of flammable materials like propane, acetylene, or butane.
Workers are also at risk for falls on a worksite, whether they involve a trip and fall accident, slip and fall accident, or fall from heights. Workers on scaffolding or high ladders could fall off, and without the proper safety gear, they could face serious injuries or death in the fall.
Dropped tools could also cause serious injury. When left on the ground, tools could become a tripping hazard to other construction workers. When dropped from heights without proper safety nets, tool lanyards, or hardhat requirements, people can be seriously injured.
Suing for Injuries From Walking Through Construction Sites in Irving
One other group that is always at risk from injury on construction sites is other people who work or live in the area near the construction site. Many construction sites are in pedestrian areas, such as construction over a sidewalk or construction inside a building that is still operating during renovations. If pedestrians and other passers-by in the area are injured by loose cables, unstable walking surfaces, dropped tools, collapsing scaffolding, or collapsing structures, they could be entitled to sue the construction company and the contractors operating the construction site. Call our Irving construction accident injury attorneys immediately for help with this kind of case.
Damages in Construction Injury Cases in Irving, TX
Victims of construction accidents are often entitled to a wide range of damages for the injuries they suffer. For some, the injuries may not be too severe, but emergency medical attention for stitches or bandages could still be costly. For others, damages may include the cost of multiple surgeries, ongoing lost wages, home nursing care, and other expensive costs, especially for serious injuries like back, neck, spine, and head injuries.
Damages vary from case to case, but victims are usually entitled to financial compensation for any expenses they faced because of the injury. This includes the economic harm of having to pay medical bills to treat your injuries and the economic harm of wages you miss from work because of the injury. Some of these damages can also be projected into the future, allowing you to claim compensation for damages you will face down the road. Other economic damages can also be claimed for medical transportation and other expenses.
Damages for pain and suffering are some of the most important damages in many cases. Whether the injury is minor or severe, the victim usually faces some degree of suffering from the injury, and these non-economic damages can be claimed in a lawsuit.
Talk to one of our Irving construction accident injury lawyers about how much the damages could be worth in your injury case.
Call Our Irving, TX Construction Accident Injury Attorneys for Help
If you or a loved one was hurt on a construction site or while passing by a construction site, the Irving, TX construction accident injury lawyers at The Queenan Law Firm may be able to help with your case. Call our law offices today at (817) 476-1797 for a free legal consultation from our Dallas construction accident lawyers.