While Bellevue continues to expand via new apartment buildings, new stores and even new roads and highways, such promising growth also means potential safety threats to construction workers.
The heavy machines used on construction sites can create plenty of hazards. Welding equipment, exposed rebar, collapsing trenches, unsteady cranes, and falling material are a few of the dangers one can expect to find at a construction site. Knowing when to contact a Bellevue construction accident lawyer becomes critical if you are a construction worker who has been injured on the job. Although construction sites promise new developments within a city, they can involve many safety risks. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), there are over 150,000 injuries on construction sites every year.
If a construction worker becomes injured, then they may file a workers’ compensation claim with the help of a Bellevue construction accident lawyer. The injured person may also be eligible to file a third-party injury claim to recover compensation from a negligent party. This is especially true if the other party failed to follow OSHA or Washington Industrial Safety Act (WISHA) regulations.
Washington State’s Safety Laws for Construction Sites
WISHA regulations state that the general contractor of any work site has the sole responsibility (non-delegable duty) to enforce all safety rules for all employees on site. The general contractor must ensure that everyone on the work site adheres to safety standards and procedures to prevent injury. The general contractor is not allowed to enforce those rules against their contractors and not against any subcontractors. All subcontractors and other people who work on that site are owed a duty of care; therefore, the general contractor must always do what they can to ensure that accidents never happen. All construction employers in Washington State are mandated to create a reasonably safe workspace for their employees and any subcontractors that are brought along.
Common Types of Construction Accidents in Bellevue
Paving roads and constructing buildings can be dangerous work. Vertical heights, molten tar, exposed electrical wires, and unsteady structures are but a fraction of the potential risks involved with such work. Construction employers have long-established responsibilities and obligations to the state and their employees to mitigate risks and reduce the chances of construction injuries. Such employers must take regular precautions and train employees to use their equipment properly.
Unfortunately, accidents on construction sites still happen. These accidents cause death and severe injuries across Washington State. Some of the most common accidents at construction sites include:
Faulty Design
Every person on a construction site relies on each other to make certain that the structure is secure. In particular, the engineers must check their work and ensure that their designs are safe. If the designers and engineers do a poor job, the workers on the structure face the risks of a possible collapse.
Crushing Accidents
Steam rollers, cranes, bulldozers, industrial-strength trucks, and cement trucks require a lot of clearance to maneuver on a construction site. Jackhammers and riveters may seem insignificant until one lands on a coworker from a twenty-story drop. Another person’s carelessness or inattention can cause loss of limbs or life.
Electrocution
Construction sites always have live wires. Until those wires are secured and grounded, there is an ever-present risk of contact with the live wires, either underground or overhead. In addition, poor wiring can exist in any building. Contact with live wires can cause severe third-degree burns or even death.
If you have been involved in a construction accident, you should seek the help of an experienced attorney. An attorney will help you pursue compensation for your injuries and hold the responsible party accountable for their actions.
Common Injuries from Bellevue Construction Accidents
Under Washington’s workers’ compensation laws, victims of construction accidents can receive compensation from those who caused their injuries. This is true regardless of intentional or accidental negligence. Generally speaking, an accident victim can try to recover non-economic (general) damages and economic (special) damages.
Non-economic damages pay for the intangible effects of an accident that do not have precise dollar values. These include:
- Pain and suffering
- Damage to personal relationships (i.e., loss of consortium/companionship/parent-child)
- Negative impacts on one’s quality of life
On the other hand, economic damages cover the tangible costs associated with your injuries. Such damages include:
- Chronic and long-term medical costs
- Physical therapy
- Assistive medical devices and prosthetics
- Unreimbursed medical bills
- Lost wages from time taken off work to recover from the accident
If you have been injured in a construction accident, you should contact an experienced construction accident lawyer as soon as possible. After receiving the necessary medical attention, you will want to consult with an attorney about your legal right to compensation for your injuries.
For a free legal consultation with a construction accident lawyer serving Bellevue, call (206) 285-1743
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Contact a Bellevue Construction Accident Lawyer at Premier Law Group
Construction accidents are zealously defended by insurance adjusters and their attorneys. The people representing the construction companies will attempt to blame you for your injury. They will try to intimidate you into withdrawing your claim or offer you a lowball settlement in order to minimize their liability. You should not try to handle a construction accident claim on your own.
You need dedicated and seasoned professionals who know how to work on your behalf. Premier Law Group has knowledgeable and experienced construction accident attorneys who are well-versed in personal injury law and know how to handle insurance companies. Learn about your rights as a construction accident victim and whether a legal case is the right option for you. You can contact us online or call us at (206) 880-7518.
Jason at premier law group is truly an outstanding individual. Our particular case was not something that their firm usually sees but they were more than willing to help us and give us all of the information they had available. I can't recommend them enough.