Construction Accidents

There are many construction accident lawyers in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Virginia. In 2012, 3.7 in every 100 full time workers were injured or suffered work-related illness. The Occupational Safety & Health Administration released a research report recently which stated that ninety-five percent of all serious injuries that constituted entitlement to compensation fell into seven types of injuries, which we’ll go over here. IF you or someone close to you has been the victim of an accident, contact the Washington DC injury lawyers at Cohen & Cohen.

7 Common Construction Injuries That May Entitle You To Compensation

The first type of injury was when a worker is caught under, caught in, or caught between machinery, which caused parts of the body to be pinched, crushed, or squeezed by machinery. The second type was falling from an elevated platform such as a roof or ladder. The third was falling, slipping, or tripping on a flat surface, usually because of a spill. The fourth was being struck by an object or hitting the body against an object. This includes burst eardrums if the ear was impacted by noise. The fifth was accidents involving a motor vehicle. The sixth type of injury that comprises 95% of construction injuries was musculoskeletal disorders of the ankles, knees, and feet. The final type of injury was upper body musculoskeletal injuries, which mostly affect the neck, arms, and back. If you incurred one of these injuries, you may be entitled to financial compensation.

The laws of Washington, D.C., Maryland, and Virginia seek to protect construction workers who are seriously injured on the job. Almost any serious injury that happened on the job can constitute a personal injury claim. Consult this handy personal injury claims FAQ if you need answers now. Construction jobs are extremely physically straining and dangerous, thus if you have been injured in a way that prevents you from continuing to do construction work and forces you to switch trades or stop working, you could be entitled to a large compensation.

There are some pretty alarming construction accident statistics. In 2015, 4,836 workers were killed on the job, which amounts to an average of more than 93 deaths a week or about 13 deaths each day. Of all the workplace deaths recorded in 2015, 4,379 occurred in private industry and 937 deaths were construction accidents. The leading causes of construction-related deaths are falls, being struck by an object, being electrocuted or getting caught in or between something.

Types of Construction Accident Damages:

If you are involved in a DC construction accident, you should know that there are two different types of construction accident damages: economic damages and non-economic damages. Both types of damages can also be can be split into past damages and future damages. If you have been involved in a DC construction accident you may be entitled to either or both types of damages.

Economic Construction Accident Damages

In regards to construction accidents, economic damage can be quite severe and can include medical bills and lost wages. Economic damages are calculated by adding up the cost of the person’s medical bills, the cost of their future medical bills, their lost past wages from the date of the accident up to the date of the verdict, and any and all future lost wages if the person can’t go to work, and the present-day value of the lost wages moving forward.

To clarify: The amount for past medical bills are determined by the cost of the medical treatment received after and as a result of the construction accident injury. Past lost wages are a result of the compensation for the work the person missed as a result of the construction accident and whether or not they can eventually work again, as well as any and all medical care that the person involved in the accident will be entitled to the present-day value of both of those things.

Non-Economic Damages

Any non-economic damages and compensation are the value that a jury or judge puts on the pain and suffering a person involved in a DC construction accident has endured as a result of the accident.

Punitive Damages

If you have been involved in a DC construction accident, you may also be potentially entitled to punitive damages if it can be proved that the construction site had a series of OSHA violations, that the company was warned about the violations, that the company was previously cited, that the company was previously cited on multiple occasions. You may also be entitled to punitive damages if the citations were not fixed or addressed and then caused serious injury to you or someone else. In DC, there is no cap on the amount of compensation for punitive damages.

It is important to note that DC is a contributory negligence jurisdiction. If a person has contributory negligence in the absence of the OSHA violation, then that person cannot recover any compensation in their construction accident. However, if there is an OSHA violation, then the defense of contributory negligence, basically if you are at fault, is inapplicable so your fault does not factor into an award that a jury could give. However, it would factor into the value of the settlement but not into a jury’s determination.

Of course all of this can get confusing, which is why it you may want to contact an expert construction accident DC attorney to help you find out if you may be eligible for potential compensation for your construction accident injury or injuries.

Contact A Construction Accident Attorney To Learn More About Your Potential Claim

If you think you have an injury that constitutes a personal injury claim, contact Cohen & Cohen today. The construction attorneys at Cohen & Cohen take a personal interest in their clients’ injuries and do their best to help their clients file for the maximum amount of financial compensation possible. Construction injuries can be debilitating and painful, see to it that you get the financial compensation you deserve. Construction injuries can lead to missed work, huge medical bills, can take away your ability to do your job, and cause large amounts of psychological stress and physical pain.

Beginning a lawsuit can be a daunting task because of the negative reputations that both lawyers and lawsuits have. If you’re considering your first lawsuit or personal injury claim, you might feel intimidated by the time and money you think a lawsuit will cost you. At Cohen & Cohen, our construction accident attorneys will make you feel comfortable and will handle your case in a time-effective and financially prudent manner. Don’t let your fear of wasting time and money keep you from at least getting an evaluation of how much money you could be entitled to. If you incurred a severe injury while on the job, the state labor laws will protect you in your lawsuit to recover your damages. Don’t waste any more time and call Cohen & Cohen  today!