Gaithersburg Construction Accident Lawyer Fights for Injured Workers
Effective representation for workers injured due to negligence or worse
Construction sites are inherently dangerous workplaces where care must be taken to prevent accidents. Unfortunately, the pressure to finish a job on time and on budget can lead to compromising on worker safety. When accidents occur, the injured worker's remedy might be limited to workers' compensation, which covers medical expenses but only partially replaces wages and pays nothing for pain and suffering. However, under certain circumstances, a worker can sue for personal injury and obtain fair and adequate damages. At The Law Office of Christopher J. Smith, LLC in Gaithersburg, we thoroughly investigate construction accidents to deliver the best possible results for our clients.
Common types of construction accidents
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, construction is one of the most dangerous occupations in the country. Of particular concern are what OSHA calls the Fatal Four — the categories of accidents that caused more than half of the 1,008 on-the-job deaths in the construction industry in 2018. They are the following:
- Falls — 338 deaths (34 percent of the total)
- Struck by object – 112 (11 percent)
- Electrocutions – 86 (9 percent)
- Caught-in/between – 55 (6 percent)
Other common causes of injury include vehicle accidents, burns, chemical exposure, and power tool accidents.
What kinds of injuries would allow me to bring a lawsuit?
It's not the type of injury but how the injury happened and who caused it that matters. In order to bring a personal injury lawsuit, you must make a case that your injury was caused by a third party, i.e., someone who is not your employer or your co-worker.
Who is responsible when construction workers are injured on the job?
Workers' compensation is no-fault insurance for workers that also shields employers and co-workers from lawsuits. However, the following entities are potentially liable to being sued directly:
- General contractors and subcontractors — In Maryland, these parties are protected from negligence suits because they are either actual employers or statutory employers. However, if a contractor was reckless or deliberately intended to harm the worker, a lawsuit is permitted.
- Construction site owners — The property owner could be liable for hidden hazards on the property that he has not warned contractors or workers about.
- Machine and equipment manufacturers — These companies can be held liable when defective equipment injures workers.
- Architects and engineers — Design professionals can be liable when their negligent structural planning leads to an injury-causing accident , such as a collapse of the structure due to a faulty design.
We will thoroughly investigate the circumstances of your accident to identify the responsible parties and work tirelessly to hold them accountable.
Statute of limitations for construction accidents
Maryland law puts a time limit on your right to file a personal injury lawsuit. To sue for construction accident injuries, you must file within three years of the accident. However, you should contact an attorney immediately because these cases take considerable time to investigate and prepare. As your advocates, we begin working right away to gather and preserve evidence and to get witnesses on record before their memories fade.
Contact a proven Gaithersburg, Maryland attorney for a free construction accident consultation
The Law Office of Christopher J. Smith, LLC in Gaithersburg represents workers injured in construction accidents throughout Maryland. Call us at 301-760-7460 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. If your injuries prevent you from visiting our office, we can come to your home or hospital room.
