Construction Site and Work Related Accidents

All injured workers are usually provided with worker’s compensation benefits due to a work related injury and as a result under Massachusetts law the general rule is that an employee cannot sue his/her employer in tort for that work related injury. Although an injured worker may not be able to sue the employer, often times the injured worker (along with a spouse and minor children) can bring a lawful claim against the person or entity [other than the employer] that caused the injury. The capable attorneys at Law Office of Joseph C. Borsellino, LLC, in Dedham have years of experience in ascertaining liability of potential wrongdoers to determine if an injured worker has a viable claim for personal injury along with the proven skills in pursuing those claims for a construction site or work related accident to a successful result.

Although we handle work related accidents arising from many different employment fields and accident scenarios, our skilled lawyers know that one of the most accident riddled sector remains the Construction Industry. Construction is statistically one of the most dangerous fields a worker can labor. OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] identifies Construction as a “High Hazard Industry” which comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration and/or repair.

Following any construction site or work related accident, workers and their families must not only endure the consequences of the injury but the sudden loss of a previously steady and stable income stream along with the uncertain future that accompanies that injury. Our attorneys recognize that in the real world, if you want to safeguard the interests of you and your family, you need a lawyer who will protect those interests. If you sit back and do nothing believing the insurers involved will take care of you and your family, putting your interests first over their own, you are sadly mistaken and bound for certain disappointment. The insurance companies are working from day one to limit their financial exposure (what they pay out) on every claim as soon as they learn of it.

Construction accidents often occur in the following situations:

• Falls, including through improperly secured or covered holes.
• Crane and equipment accidents.
• Trench collapse.
• Falling objects.
• Scaffolding dangers.
• Collapse.
• Hazardous worksite conditions.

In the aftermath of a construction accident, several things occur. A workers’ compensation claim is initiated, which can bridge the gap caused by a loss of income and cover the resulting significant medical expenses incurred. Insurers will investigate the accident to assess their potential liability to the injured worker. OSHA can investigate to determine if established safety regulations have been obeyed or disregarded at the site. Construction sites will typically have a general contractor, architect, structural engineer, project manager, multiple safety officers, contractors, subcontractors and agreements/contracts outlining obligations and responsibilities. At some sites regular safety meetings or “toolbox talks” are held and then workers are directed to perform tasks that contradict the very safety meeting just conducted. As our experienced attorneys and many construction workers (injured and uninjured) know, in the real world safety regulations at construction sites often take a back seat to construction schedules, especially where delays may trigger a general contractor having to pay a significant monetary penalty for not meeting contractual deadlines. When expediency conflicts with safety regulations and the latter is sacrificed, construction workers’ lives are put at risk, they get injured and sometimes they pay with their lives. There is nothing more important at a construction site than the lives of the men and women who work at the site. Not the equipment, the structure, the construction schedule.

Ultimately, our attorneys’ objective is to hold those accountable for hurting you and secure a prompt and fair case resolution for you and your family. If litigation and jury verdict are necessary to compel the responsible parties and their insurers to justly compensate you and your family, then we will fight for you all the way to achieve a favorable result.

Please call us at 781-329-9500 or use our contact form. Get your free legal consultation today with an attorney from Law Office of Joseph C. Borsellino, LLC