Pennsylvania Construction Accident Lawyer
The private construction industry has the largest number of fatalities among all occupations in Pennsylvania, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Pennsylvania workers’ compensation benefits can provide some level of assistance, but they are not always enough, and they are not always the exclusive recourse for the injured worker. Benedum Law helps construction workers who have been injured in Philadelphia construction accidents get the full amount of compensation available to them. Learn more below about negligence and liability in Philadelphia construction accidents, and contact a Pennsylvania construction accident lawyer at Benedum Law for immediate assistance after sustaining construction site injuries.
What Pennsylvania Workers’ Comp Covers (and what it doesn’t)
Construction workers are generally covered by workers’ compensation, which means they can apply for workers’ comp benefits when they are injured on the job. Employers and their insurance carriers, however, may try to claim that the employee did not suffer a work injury related to employment or that the employee failed to meet the strict notice timelines and procedures in the law. Even if benefits are paid, they amount to only payment for “reasonable and necessary” medical bills and two-thirds of the worker’s wages. A disabled worker is not reimbursed for the full amount of lost wages or given any compensation whatsoever for pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, or other damages applicable in a civil lawsuit.
In general, the availability of workers’ compensation benefits means that workers cannot sue their employers after a construction accident, even if the employer was negligent in causing the injury. However, there are some limited instances where a worker can sue the employer. These instances include when the employer did not have required workers’ compensation insurance and when the injury was caused by an intentional act of the employer, such as forcing employees to work in knowing violation of safety rules.
Other Parties may be Liable for a Philadelphia Construction Accident
Besides the benefit of workers’ compensation, there are many times when a third-party (not the employer or employee) is responsible for causing a construction accident. In those instances, the injured worker may be able to sue the third-party for negligence that caused the accident and recover the full amount of legal damages, including all medical expenses, lost income, pain and suffering and more. Common examples of third-party liability for Philadelphia construction accidents include:
Car Accidents – Construction workers may be injured in a crash while on the clock picking up supplies, or they may be struck by a delivery truck driving materials onto the site. The injured worker has a car accident claim against the negligent or distracted driver.
Premises Liability – Construction work is being performed on another’s property, and that property contains a hazard the owner knew about but failed to fix or warn the workers of. A construction worker injured in a slip and fall or other accident likely has a premises liability claim against the property owner.
Design Professional Liability – Negligence on the part of an architect, engineer or other contractor that causes injury may give rise to a third-party liability claim.
Defective Products – A worker who is injured by a malfunctioning tool, vehicle, or other piece of machinery or equipment may have a products liability claim if the product was defectively designed or defectively manufactured when it left the manufacturer’s control and was not substantially altered in the interim.
Benedum Law represents construction workers in Chestnut Hill and greater Philadelphia who are injured on the job in any number of construction accidents, including:
- Ladder Falls
- Scaffold Collapses
- Hit by Falling Objects
- Electrocution
- Forklift and Crane Accidents
- Trenching and Excavation Accidents
- Caught-in/between Accidents
Help is Available after Construction Accidents in Philadelphia and Chestnut Hill
If you have injuries from a Philadelphia construction accident, contact Benedum Law at 215-LAWSUIT for a free consultation with an experienced and successful Chestnut Hill construction accident lawyer.
