Union County Construction Accident Lawyers

Construction site injuries often occur when building or maintaining commercial buildings, homes, roads, bridges, and utility systems. Construction workers are often neglected and injured without regard to their own safety. Not only are construction workers often injured, but also innocent pedestrians walking by become targets of danger. Construction sites are very dangerous areas, and people are often harmed due to inadequate health and safety hazards, improperly maintained equipment, poor management of heavy machinery, poor lighting, inadequate fencing, and falling beams, girders, and tools. Construction site injuries often lead to brain and spinal cord injuries, back injuries, and broken bones. If you were injured in a construction accident, please don’t hesitate to contact the Union County personal injury lawyers at The Mark Law Firm for a free initial consultation today.

What Are the Most Common Causes of Construction Site Injuries?

Causes of common construction injuries include:

1. Falls from Ladders
2. Falls from Roofs
3. Falls from Scaffolding
4. Falling Objects
5. Machinery Accidents
6. Unguarded Openings & Fencing
7. Improper or Inadequate Signage
8. Exposure to Chemicals & Electricity
9. Inadequate Safety Equipment and Training
10. Intrusion of Construction Equipment into Roads and Sidewalks

What Safety Violations Often Lead to Construction Accidents?

Federal and State Laws have been enacted to protect employees from dangerous work sites. Negligent employers, contractors or equipment manufacturers who fail to adhere to safety regulations can contribute to hazardous and potentially fatal circumstances caused by such violations as:

• Failure to post warning signs to alert workers and pedestrians of hazards
• Failure to maintain and clean the work site of dangerous materials and debris
• Inadequate employee training on the use of machinery
• Inadequate fencing and guard rails
• Lack of mandated safety equipment
• Inadequate scaffolding
• Faulty or poorly maintained temporary stairs
• Inadequate shields on exposed electrical wires

Workers’ Compensation Vs. Third-Party Claims

When construction workers are injured on the job, they are often entitled to workers’ compensation benefits through their employer. Workers’ compensation laws are designed to provide injured workers with medical treatment and partial wage replacement without having to prove that their employer was negligent. In many cases, however, these benefits are limited and may not fully compensate an injured worker for the true extent of their losses.

In certain situations, an injured worker may also have the right to pursue what is known as a third-party claim. A third-party claim arises when someone other than the employer is responsible for causing the accident. Construction sites typically involve multiple contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and other parties working at the same location, and when one of these parties fails to follow proper safety procedures, serious injuries can occur. For example, a third-party claim may arise when:

• A subcontractor negligently operates heavy machinery
• A property owner fails to maintain a safe work site
• A contractor fails to provide proper safety protections
• Defective tools or equipment cause injury
• Unsafe scaffolding or ladders are installed by another company

Unlike workers’ compensation claims, third-party lawsuits allow injured workers to pursue compensation for the full value of their damages, which may include pain and suffering, full lost wages, and other losses resulting from the accident.

Contact Our Construction Accident Lawyers in Union County, NJ

If you were injured at a construction site, you may be entitled to receive compensation for your injuries. We at The Mark Law Firm will often analyze your case to determine the value of your injury, including herniated discs, soft tissue damage, broken bones, amputation, and death.

If you or someone in your family has been injured or killed in a construction accident in New Jersey, contact the highly experienced New Jersey construction accident team at The Mark Law Firm for your free initial consultation to discuss how we can help you.