Construction Accident Settlements

The construction industry is the third most likely place to sustain a work-related injury, after mining and agriculture. Thousands of construction workers are injured in construction accidents each year, with such common causes as faulty equipment, falls, motor vehicle (i.e. forklift, bulldozer, truck) accidents, chemical poisoning and machinery malfunctions.

In many construction accidents, there is a responsible third party who can be held liable in a court of law. A construction accident lawyer can help determine whether to pursue a case against a third party or whether to solely accept workers'' compensation as a settlement.

The Workers'' Compensation Act is designed to help injured workers and employers deal with health insurance and medical expenses after a construction accident. Workers injured on the job receive benefits including weekly payments based on a percentage of their salary. This payment covers disability and medical expenses for treatment of the injury sustained during the construction accident. The Workers'' Compensation Act also forbids an employee from suing an employer for additional damages. For this reason, construction accident lawyers seek responsible third parties who can be sued for a larger settlement.

There are a number of third party defendants that can be sought out in a construction accident case. Contractors and subcontractors are responsible for the supervision of construction sites and the enforcement of safety rules. Failure to do so may result in a construction accident settlement on behalf of the employee whose contractor was inefficient. Owners, architects and insurance companies can also be required to pay construction accident settlements to the plaintiff if they are found to be negligent.

Perhaps the largest construction accident settlements can be won by suing the manufacturers of construction equipment. Manufacturers can be held responsible if the construction accident was the result of faulty equipment or machinery ranging from scaffolding, ladders, cranes and conveyors to forklifts, bulldozers, gas detectors and tractors. Because they are responsible for designing and maintaining safe products, manufacturers can be sued for damages if their products failed to meet safety requirements.

A construction accident lawyer will likely gather a number of possible third party defendants in order to ensure a victory in a construction accident settlement.

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