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Construction Accidents Representing Clients Across Georgia and Throughout the Southeast

Gainesville Construction Accident Attorney

Construction Accidents in Hall County

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), workers in the private construction industry are at the highest risk of occupational injuries and fatalities. In 2018 in Georgia, construction industry fatalities were the highest across all industries, despite a slight dip in overall work-related deaths from the previous year.

While construction workers may be at a higher risk of being injured or killed on the job, we at Hasty Pope, LLP believe that no one should have to worry about their safety and well-being at work. Unfortunately, these accidents do happen—and when they do, you can trust that our team will be by your side. Whether you were injured on the job or lost a loved one due to a construction accident, our attorneys are here to help you pick up the pieces. We know that no amount of money can ever truly compensate you for your losses, but a successful personal injury or workers’ compensation claim can allow you to recover the resources you need to heal.

If you or your loved one was injured on the job, call our Gainesville construction accident lawyers today for a free consultation: (770) 741-1951.

What Are the Most Common Construction Accidents?

Every day, construction workers are required to use heavy machinery, work with and around hazardous substances, and navigate treacherous job sites. This puts them at a heightened risk of serious injury when on-the-job accidents occur.

Some of the most common construction accidents include:

  • Falls, including slip and falls, falls from scaffolding, etc.
  • Electrocutions, explosions, and fires
  • Being struck by falling objects, structures, or debris
  • Structure and trench collapses/cave-ins
  • Machinery, tool, and equipment accidents
  • Construction vehicle and transportation accidents
  • Being caught between materials, objects, or structures

Additionally, construction workers are susceptible to overexertion and repetitive motion injuries, as well as injuries and illnesses caused by exposure to harmful or toxic substances. These and other accidents can have serious implications, leaving injured workers unable to return to their jobs for extended periods of time, even as they also cope with mounting medical bills and significant pain and suffering.

How Do Construction Accidents Happen & Who Is at Fault?

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the top 10 OSHA violation citations in 2019 involved: 

  • Inadequate fall protection
  • Failure to follow hazard communication standards
  • Unsafe scaffolding
  • Improper control of hazardous energy
  • Lack of adequate respiratory protection
  • Dangerous ladders
  • Issues with powered industrial trucks
  • Failure to follow training requirements regarding fall protection
  • Insufficient machine guarding/machinery failure
  • Inadequate eye/face protection

While these represent the most common documented causes of construction accidents, any act of negligence or wrongful conduct can lead to a serious accident. It is important to determine how an accident happened, as you may need to establish liability to bring a third-party work injury claim. If you are seeking workers’ compensation after a construction accident, however, you generally do not need to prove that any particular party was at fault in order to file a claim.

Depending on the specifics of your situation, any of the following people/parties could be liable for your construction accident/injury:

  • Your employer
  • A contractor or subcontractor
  • The landowner
  • The site owner/manager
  • A manufacturer or distributor
  • An engineer or architect

At Hasty Pope, LLP, our Gainesville construction accident attorneys work tirelessly to identify the liable party. We often work alongside professional investigators, accident reconstructionists, and other industry experts in order to establish how an accident occurred, how it could have prevented, and who is to blame. From there, we fight aggressively for our clients, working to recover every last penny they are owed.

Workers’ Compensation vs. Third-Party Work Injury Claims

After a construction accident, you may have several options when it comes to obtaining compensation for your damages.

If you are a covered employee, you could be entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim. When you file a workers’ compensation claim, you do not need to prove that your employer—or any other party—acted negligently or wrongfully. You must only show that you were injured while carrying out duties covered in the scope of your employment. With workers’ compensation, you can recover medical benefits, wage replacement benefits, and other benefits, such as death benefits.

If you are not covered by workers’ compensation, you may have the option of filing a third-party work injury claim. These claims essentially work in the same way as standard personal injury claims: you will need to prove that another person or party owed you a duty of care, breached the duty of care, and that you were injured and suffered damages as a result. In other words, you will have to prove that someone else was negligent or acted wrongfully to recover compensation. With a third-party work injury claim, you can seek both economic and non-economic damages, such as medical expenses, lost wages, and pain and suffering.

It may be appropriate to file both a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party work injury claim in some circumstances. This could be the case if your construction accident is covered under workers’ compensation and your injuries were caused by a third party’s negligent or wrongful conduct. For example, if you were injured by a defective product, you may have a workers’ compensation claim, as well as grounds for a product liability claim against the manufacturer or distributor.

Contact Hasty Pope, LLP Today for the Help You Need

If you are unsure of your legal options, we encourage you to contact our team at Hasty Pope, LLP. With over 150 years of combined experience, our Gainesville construction accident attorneys have an in-depth understanding of the law, as well as the processes involved in recovering fair compensation after a serious work-related accident. We are here to answer your questions and provide the trusted representation you need.

As a family-run law firm with deep roots in the local community, we are proud to serve ordinary individuals and families who have had their lives turned upside down by unexpected accidents and devastating, life-altering losses. To date, we have secured more than $100 million for our clients; we are ready to fight for you and the justice you deserve.

Call us at (770) 741-1951 or contact us online to request a free, confidential consultation with our legal team today.