Working at a construction site is one of the most dangerous jobs in America. Construction accidents injure or kill thousands of workers every year. In fact, construction workers account for one in five workplace fatalities in the United States. These construction injuries occur when the safety engineers and safety programs that construction companies are obligated to enact are either negligent or simply absent. No matter what the cause or nature of the construction injury, the worker is entitled to some kind of compensation. A construction accident attorney diligently pursues these claims to ensure injured workers are awarded money for any and all damage suffered.
When a construction worker is injured on the job, he or she cannot, in most instances, sue the employer for work-related injuries. A third party, however, could be liable for negligence when a construction injury occurs on the job site. Even if the worker is injured due to his or her own carelessness, compensation is available in most states through the Workers Compensation Act (WCA).
Benefits such as weekly payments and medical expenses are awarded to injured workers. But, too often, these are simply not enough to cover the pain and suffering associated with an on-the-job construction injury. Weekly payments are based on a percentage of the worker’s weekly earnings and on the severity of the disability, whether it is a temporary total disability or a permanent partial disability. Also, medical expenses cover only those treatments deemed necessary and related to the specific work injury.
