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Philadelphia Construction Accident Attorney

Constructions sites can be incredibly disruptive because they are often loud and cause traffic backups and detours. In addition to being disruptive, they are also very dangerous. According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (“OSHA”) one out of five workplace accident fatalities is related to construction accidents. And that statistic is only related to construction workers at the construction site. People who happen to be near construction sites are also sometimes victims of construction accidents from things like falling debris and crane collapses. According to OSHA, the greatest causes of construction site deaths are people falling, being struck by objects, being electrocuted, and being caught between objects.

Recent Philadelphia Construction Accidents

Locally, Philadelphia sees many construction accidents each year where both construction workers and unrelated bystanders and passersby are injured. Below are a handful of accidents that have recently occurred in Philadelphia.

2018 – A construction worker was hit by falling bricks at construction site in City Center Philadelphia.

2018 – A Philadelphia construction worker fell through the roof at a construction site.

2018 –FIU bridge collapsed while workers were trying to strengthen a section of the bridge, killing and injuring people underneath.

2017 – A construction worker fell four stories at a Philadelphia construction site and died.

2017 – A construction worker was struck and killed by a bulldozer at a Philadelphia construction site.

Liable Parties In Construction Accidents

There are a number of parties that may be liable for construction site accidents depending on the particular scenario. Possible liable parties may include the owner or developer of the property, the general contractor, subcontractors, or equipment supplier. It can be hard to know which party or parties involved are liable and how to proceed in order to receive compensation for your injuries and damages. Procedures and recovery options may be different depending on the cause of the injury and whether or not you were a construction worker or an unlucky bystander at the time of the accident.

Most Commonly Cited Workplace Safety Violations

OSHA includes the following as some of the most commonly cited workplace safety violations:

Fall protection
Classifying chemicals and communicating hazard information
Scaffolding safety
Respiratory protection
Ladder safety
Electrical requirements and safety

Time Limit for Filing a Construction Accident Claim in Philadelphia

There are various timelines that construction injury victims need to be aware of when it comes to making a claim. First, there is a difference between the timelines for a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit deadline.

  • Workers’ Comp Claim Timeline: Even though a work injury victim should let their supervisor or employer know about the injury as soon as possible, the injured worker will have up to 120 days to let their employer know that they have been injured on the job. Additionally, employers do not have to file a workers’ compensation claim right away. Overall, the work injury personal injury statute of limitations in Pennsylvania is three years from the date an injury occurs. However, if the employee misses that initial 120-day timeline to report the injury to the employer, they will likely not be able to file an injury claim at any time.
  • Personal Injury Statute of Limitations: In the event, a third-party personal injury lawsuit becomes viable in these cases, there is an entirely different timeline put in place. The Pennsylvania personal injury statute of limitations is two years from the date an injury occurs. If an injury victim fails to file a lawsuit against the alleged negligent party within this time frame, they will not be able to recover the compensation they are entitled to.

Types of Compensation Available for a Philadelphia Construction Injury Claim

There may be various types of compensation available for construction accident injury victims in Philadelphia. The workers’ compensation system is robust in Pennsylvania, and injured workers should be able to recover the following:

  • Complete coverage of all medical bills, including hospital and doctor’s office bills, physical therapy and rehabilitation, prescription medications and medical devices, and more.
  • Recovery of lost wages if a victim cannot work while they recover. Typically, this means that a person will receive two-thirds of their average weekly wage after they are away from work for a certain amount of time.
  • Possible disability benefits period in the event a person is disabled and unable to return to work either at all or in the same capacity, there are various schedules of disability benefits available to workers.

Under the workers’ compensation system in Pennsylvania, those who sustained on-the-job injuries will not be able to recover any types of non-economic damages such as pain and suffering or emotional distress damages. However, in the event an injured worker is able to file a third-party personal injury lawsuit, this opens up the door to complete coverage of their losses, including full wage replacement as well as a host of pain and suffering types of damages.

Contact a Philadelphia Construction Accident Attorney Today

If you have been injured in a construction accident, contact the premises liability attorney in Philadelphia, Daniel S. Doyle, to schedule a consultation. Construction accidents can be devastating, but we can help to make the recovery process a little easier. Construction accidents create a number of complications and issues because there are often several parties and insurance companies involved with parties blaming each other for the accident.

If you have been contacted by an insurance company, understand that you are not obligated to speak with them. Insurance companies are not looking out for your best interests because their interests are to limit or eliminate their liability and payout as little as possible to settle any claim. Our Philadelphia construction accident lawyer is a skilled insurance company negotiator and expert in construction law, workers compensation law, and personal injury law. Our goal is to see that you are fully and fairly compensated for your construction accident injuries.