Construction sites can be challenging, even dangerous, places where workers face daily risk of serious, and even fatal, injuries. Construction workers must maintain intense focus, often working from high elevations and with heavy materials and machinery.
Unfortunately, accidents happen despite all of the current safety measures.
When these accidents happen, the injuries can be life-changing, affecting the health, livelihood, and future of the victim and their family. This is when a Baltimore construction accident lawyer can provide invaluable support, guiding victims through the complex legal process to secure fair compensation.
In Maryland, if you’ve suffered injuries in a construction accident, you may have the right to seek compensation for your losses. Your first and best step is to seek out the assistance of legal counsel. Give us a call or email us to arrange for an initial consultation with a construction injury attorney today. It’s free.
Common Types of Injury Incidents That Occur on Maryland Building Sites
Like most major cities, construction sites in Baltimore can range from new high-rises and public infrastructure projects to facility repairs and remodeling, each project and site offering its own unique work-related hazards.
Here are some of the most common accidents that happen on these sites and the severe injuries that can result:
- Slip-and-Falls and Falls from Heights: One of the leading causes of injuries and fatalities in construction is slips and falls, as well as falling from heights. Construction workers operating on scaffolding, ladders, or roofs are at extremely high risk, especially when safety protocols aren’t being strictly followed. Falling from a height like this can result in severe injuries, including things like broken bones, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries. Many of these slips and falls would have been preventable with the proper use of safety harnesses, guardrails, and other safety measures.
- Equipment-Related Accidents: Heavy machinery like forklifts, cranes, and bulldozers are essential equipment on construction sites and are used daily but pose a significant risk. Accidents involving this type of equipment can lead to serious injuries, including crush injuries, amputations, and even wrongful death. Equipment that can malfunction or fail if misused (often due to inadequate training). This increases the likelihood of accidents.
- Electrocutions and Electrical Hazards: New construction sites often have exposed wiring, unburied power lines, and temporary electrical connections that lack standard safety features. Any of which can lead to electrocution accidents if not handled properly. Electrical accidents often result in burns, neurological damage, cardiac issues, and sometimes fatalities.
- Falling Objects: Falling tools, construction materials, or debris can lead to severe head and neck injuries for those below. Workers often get little warning when an object falls from above; This is why hard hats and other protective gear are crucial. When negligence is a factor, like unsecured materials or insufficient barriers, the risk of injuries from falling objects increases greatly.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims
Many construction accidents allow injured workers to file for workers’ compensation benefits through their employer. Workers’ compensation provides financial help to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and rehabilitation, regardless of fault, as long as the accident occurred while the worker was performing assigned duties.
However, these benefits can be limited and often don’t fully cover the worker’s losses, especially in severe injury cases or for pain and suffering.
How a Baltimore Construction Accident Lawyer Can Help
The legal process for pursuing compensation after a construction accident can be both complicated and confusing. However, a construction accident lawyer can help navigate each step in the process, ensure your rights are protected, and you get the maximum compensation for your injuries and losses.
Initial Consultation and Case Evaluation
During the initial consultation, your lawyer will review the details of your accident, assess the severity of your injuries, and explore any legal options you may have. This case evaluation helps your lawyer decide on the most beneficial course of action for you, be it pursuing a workers’ compensation claim, filing a claim against one or more third parties, or both.
Investigation and Evidence Gathering
It’s essential that your attorney perform a thorough investigation to build a solid case on your behalf.
Your construction accident lawyer will collect evidence such as accident reports, related medical records, photographs or video footage of the accident site, eyewitness statements, and even expert testimonies if needed. If your injuries were caused by or involved equipment failure or safety violations, they may also consult with industry experts in those fields to review how the accident occurred and help determine who was responsible.
Filing the Claim
Once your lawyer has gathered sufficient evidence, they’ll file any necessary claims on your behalf.
This could include filing the required paperwork for workers’ compensation and, if it applies in your case, any third-party claims. Your attorney will make sure that all of your documentation is complete, correct, and submitted within Maryland’s statute of limitations, which is typically three years when filing a personal injury claim.
Negotiation and Settlement
Insurance companies often prefer to settle claims out of court. Your lawyer will handle these negotiations on your behalf, arguing for a maximum fair settlement that reflects the full extent of your injuries and losses.
They’ll work hard to reach an agreement that covers your current and future needs, including any long-term medical care, rehabilitation, and compensation for any noneconomic damages.
Trial Representation
In situations where a fair settlement cannot be reached, your case may proceed to trial.
When this happens, you’ll need a Baltimore construction accident lawyer with trial experience to prepare your case, present evidence, call expert witnesses, and argue on your behalf before a judge or jury. Relying on a thorough understanding of construction accident laws, your lawyer will present their most compelling case and help secure the maximum possible compensation for you and your family.
Why You Need the Assistance of Belsky & Horowitz, LLC If You’re Hurt
If you’ve been injured on a construction job, trying to navigate an accident claim without legal representation can be confusing and overwhelming, especially if you’re still trying to heal from injuries and losses. As we’ve seen, construction accidents often involve complex regulations, multiple liable parties, and powerful insurance companies whose focus is minimizing payouts, NOT justice for you and your family.
By working with a Baltimore construction accident lawyer, you’ll get access to invaluable legal resources, industry knowledge, and dedicated advocates who can significantly affect the success of your case.
At Belsky & Horowitz, LLC, we understand that construction accidents can be devastating, leaving workers and families struggling with life-altering injuries and financial hardship. Our construction accident lawyers will be in your corner, providing you with the guidance, support, and representation you need to pursue justice and move forward with your life following an injury.
Focusing on securing you the maximum fair compensation, our skilled lawyers handle every aspect of the legal process, from gathering evidence to representing you in court.
Contact us today for a free consultation if you or a loved one has been injured on a Maryland construction site.
With our expert assistance, you can focus on healing while we fight for the compensation and justice you deserve.
