If you suffer a slip and fall injury while working on a construction site, you should of course be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. However, unlike most employees across Illinois, your recovery may not be restricted to the amounts allowed by workers’ compensation laws. If you are able to establish that your accident was at least partially due to the negligence of one or more third parties, such as a general contractor, a sub-contractor, or a property owner, you will be able to bring a separate cause of action against these negligent actors in civil court. Cases based upon slip and fall accidents are very common on construction sites. Keep reading to learn more about what you should do if you suffer a slip and fall injury on a construction site.
Construction Accidents – Third Party Injury Claims
Because there are typically so many parties involved in a construction project, determining liability can be complicated. In most cases, however, accidents can be traced back to safety violations, faulty products, lack of training, or a combination of all three.
In a fall accident, for instance, inadequate, missing, improperly fitted, or faulty fall protection may play a role. In a scaffolding collapse, inadequate training, disregarding weight limits, faulty materials, or even improper use could be to blame. Sometimes, reckless operation of machines or heavy equipment, combined with faulty parts and other safety hazards on the site may all contribute to a construction accident. Reach out to a construction accident lawyer at Eames Law Group to discuss the potential liable parties in your case.
If people or entities other than your employer contributed to the cause of your construction site injuries, you may be able to file a separate claim against them simultaneously. Other parties who may be liable include:
- General Contractors
- Independent Subcontractors
- Product Manufacturers
- Property Owners
- Leasing Companies
Premises liability cases are extremely fact-specific, so confirming, reporting, and preserving evidence is crucial in order to be able to present a compensable claim. Of course, it is common for the alleged defective condition to be cured very quickly after the property owner or general contractor receives notice of the injury. For this reason, you should attempt to document and preserve the condition after the accident by taking pictures or videos. You should also promptly notify your supervisor to fill out an accident report. Some of the most common defenses we face occur when an injured worker fails to promptly report the accident to their supervisor. This opens the door for the insurance company to argue that you are lying or faking it, because the employer’s rules will generally require that you immediately report a work accident. If you have been injured in an accident and you believe you may have a cause of action for premises liability, you should immediately contact experienced legal counsel at the Eames Law Group, Ltd. to help you determine all possible liable parties, insurance companies, and seek the appropriate damages for the injuries you sustained.
Eames Law Group, Ltd. never stops fighting for our clients, and we will aggressively push cases to trial in order to obtain justice when insurance companies attempt to trample on the rights of our clients. If an insurance company has denied your work comp claim or refused to pay work comp benefits, you owe it to yourself to contact one of the best work comp attorneys in Chicago, Brent Eames, to discuss your rights. If you have been injured, you should immediately contact Brent Eames for a free consultation to discuss your options.
The content of this blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute or establish an attorney-client relationship, nor constitute legal advice. If you wish to discuss any further aspect of the material contained herein, please contact an attorney at Eames Law Group, Ltd.
