TAP TO CALLJersey City Construction Accident Lawyer
A serious construction accident can leave you unable to work for a long time and create financial stress. If you’ve been hurt in a construction accident in Jersey City, the attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. have the experience and resources necessary to pursue the full compensation that you need to get your life back on track. We are committed to fighting for injured construction workers, and we have a strong record of securing positive results for our clients.
To anyone who lives in Jersey City, it is no secret that construction is booming and transforming the Hudson River waterfront. NJ Advance Media reported that the Jersey City Division of Planning was tracking 15,000 condominium and rental units in the works over the next five years, with 13,400 more units projected within ten years after that.
Increased construction activity means more construction accidents. Injured construction workers are often unaware of the types of compensation available to them. Many construction workers are eligible to claim workers’ compensation benefits including paid medical care for injuries incurred at a construction site. In certain situations, an injured worker may have a legal right to file a lawsuit and demand compensation because another party’s negligence caused the accident.
Our Jersey City construction injury attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C. represent construction workers injured in accidents in Jersey City, Union City, Bayonne, Secaucus, North Bergen and surrounding areas of Hudson County. We stand ready to provide qualified legal counsel and can review your case during a consultation. Call (800) LAW-2000 or contact us online to set up a free consultation.
Causes of Construction Accidents
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reported that of the 4,674 worker fatalities in private industry in 2017, one in five workplace deaths occurred in the construction industry.
The four most common causes of worker deaths in the construction industry are:
- Falls
- Being struck by an object
- Electrocution
- Being caught in or between equipment, objects or collapsing structures.
These four categories of fatal workplace accidents accounted for 59.9 percent of construction worker deaths in 2017.
The top 10 most frequently cited OSHA standards violated in the fiscal year 2018 included fall protection in construction, hazard communication in general industry, scaffolding general requirements in construction, respiratory protection in general industry, ladders in construction, powered industrial trucks in general industry, fall protection training requirements, machinery and machine guarding general requirements, and eye and face protection.
Some of the most common kinds of construction accidents that Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., handles include:
- Electrocutions and chemical burns
- Scaffolding failures
- Saw accidents
- Nail gun injuries
- Collapsing floors
- Heavy machinery accidents
- Crane collapses
- Forklift accidents
- Falls from unguarded heights
- Injuries caused by co-workers
- Slip and falls
- Ladder accidents
- Act of violence by a co-worker
Our firm also has experience with asbestos-related illnesses stemming from exposure on construction sites.
Types of Construction Accident Injuries
Some of the injuries that construction workers frequently sustain on the job include:
- Lacerations
- Muscle strains
- Exertion injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs)
- Paralysis
- Muscle strains
- Spinal cord injuries
- Sprains
- Fractures
- Neck injuries
The Center for Construction Research and Training (CPWR), a construction safety research unit of the North America’s Building Trades Unions, said that the leading causes of fatal and nonfatal injuries in construction are different. Exertion, for example, was the leading cause of nonfatal work injuries resulting in days away from work, but does not typically cause death.
Construction workers employed by a construction company who sustain injuries on the job should be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance provided by employers that covers medical treatment for employees who are hurt on the job or have a work-related illness. It pays for medical treatment of the work-related injury and reimburses a portion of lost wages while you are unable to work.
Some construction workers sustain fatal injuries on job sites. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported that the private construction industry sector had the highest number of fatalities in New Jersey, with 20 fatalities in a recent year.
If your loved one was killed in a construction accident in New Jersey, you should understand your legal rights. You may be entitled to claim workers’ compensation death benefits after an on-the-job fatal accident.
The dependents of a worker who is killed in a work-related construction accident in Jersey City may be eligible to receive death benefits, including weekly payments equivalent to 70 percent of the deceased worker’s weekly wage up to a maximum amount. A surviving spouse and children who lived in the household are considered to be dependents.
In some situations, you may have a right to file a wrongful death lawsuit against the negligent party or parties to recover damages for financial difficulties created by the person’s death.
Steps to Take After a Construction Accident in Jersey City
When you are hurt in an accident on a construction site in New Jersey, you should notify your employer. Report your accident to your employer as soon as possible. Try to put this report in writing so you can retain a copy for your own records.
Your employer should inform you of the worker’s compensation physician that you should see for treatment of a work-related injury. You should immediately visit this doctor.
If you are not sure which doctor your employer selected, then you should still see your personal doctor. It is essential to have your injuries evaluated and treated by a medical professional as soon as possible. Remember that some symptoms may appear or get worse over time, so be sure to keep your doctor updated on your condition.
If any co-workers saw your accident, be sure that you know what their names are and make sure that they provide eyewitness accounts of what happened from their perspectives.
How a Jersey City Injury Lawyer Can Help a Construction Accident Victim
The attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., are committed to helping injured workers pursue the full compensation they are entitled to by law. We will work with you to identify what benefits you may claim. Workers’ compensation is designed to be the sole source of benefits for injured employees.
However, if a negligent third party such as another company working on the same job site caused your accident, then you may have a right to sue the other company and demand compensation through a personal injury lawsuit.
A person normally has two years from the date of an accident to file a lawsuit against a negligent party, but there are some important exceptions when one of the negligent parties happens to be a governmental entity.
If a public entity employee caused your injury (defined under New Jersey Statute § 59:1-1 as including the state and any county, municipality, district, public authority, public agency, and any other political subdivision or public body), you are required to notify the appropriate governmental agency within 90 days of the accident by filing a notice. The failure to do so will bar you from recovering anything.
The experienced attorneys at Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., can negotiate with the insurance company for a settlement that covers your past bills and anticipated future medical expenses as well. We prepare each case thoroughly as if it’s going to trial. That allows us to negotiate from a position of strength. We aren’t afraid to take a case to trial if necessary. Davis, Saperstein & Salomon has highly regarded trial attorneys who have a record of accomplishment.
Contact a Jersey City Construction Accident Attorney Today
For more than 35 years, Davis, Saperstein & Salomon, P.C., has served injured individuals and their families in Jersey City and across New Jersey. We have helped over 20,000 clients in that time, and we’re proud of our track record of successful verdicts and settlements on their behalf.
Our team is motivated to assist workers who have been hurt on the job. We know how dangerous construction work is, and we firmly believe that workers should be taken care of when they’re hurt and unable to provide for themselves and their families. We will do everything in our power to make sure that you get the benefits provided by law, and that any other liable parties should be held accountable for the harm they have caused.
Our firm’s national headquarters is located on Cedar Lane in Teaneck, just across the river from Manhattan. We can review your case when you call (800) LAW-2000 or contact us online to take advantage of a free consultation.
