Serious accidents and personal injuries are extremely common at construction sites in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. That is because construction work is notoriously dangerous. The rate of on-the-job accidents involving slips & falls and malfunctioning machinery is higher at construction sites than at almost any other workplace. Moreover, due to the often catastrophic nature of the injuries suffered in construction accidents, you might find it difficult to return to living a normal life. In many instances, injured workers are unable to return to their previous jobs because they have suffered life-changing injuries. If you have been injured in a construction accident, you need to speak with an experienced Mercer County personal injury lawyer.
Cohen & Riechelson has more than 40 years of experience fighting on behalf of personal injury victims in Mercer County, NJ and Bucks County, PA. We represent clients who have been injured in construction accidents throughout Mercer County, NJ, including Ewing, Paterson, and Hopewell. When it comes to your construction accident case, we know how to identify the liable parties. Moreover, we will take the steps needed to prevent any liable parties from exploiting a legal loophole in the personal injury or workers’ compensation laws. Call CR now to take full advantage of our legal knowledge and experience.
Some of the most common causes of construction accidents in New Jersey include:
Construction site operators have a legal obligation to do whatever is reasonably necessary to ensure the safety of workers. It is never okay for a construction site operator to cut corners when it comes to worker safety. Unfortunately, the reality is that most construction accidents could have been avoided if the company had taken necessary safety precautions.
In New Jersey, plaintiffs in construction accident cases must sufficiently prove that the defendant failed to take “reasonable” steps needed to prevent an accident. When considering whether the defendant fulfilled their legal obligation to provide workers with a safe workplace, New Jersey courts will typically reference federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards. If the defendant violated any of these federal regulations, the court may determine that the defendant acted unreasonably.
Keep in mind that you have just two years from the date of the construction accident, or the date on which you first learned about your injury, to file a construction accident claim in New Jersey.
Not only can failure to comply with OSHA standards potentially bolster a personal injury claim in New Jersey; it can also be the basis for a federal claim. When a construction site operator or contractor fails to comply with OSHA standards, the agency may initiate an official investigation into site safety practices.
OSHA provides a number of guidelines that construction site operators are expected to follow:
If you are injured while on the job at a construction site, you may be able to file a workers’ compensation claim. This is in addition to a claim against a negligent third party such as a contractor or equipment manufacturer.
However, even if your claim is covered by workers’ compensation, you should look into the possibility of pursuing a personal injury claim against negligent third parties. That’s because workers’ compensation does not always cover all of the damages in a construction accident case. For example, workers’ comp only covers expenses for medical treatment, compensation for lost wages, and compensation for disability. Pain and suffering is not accounted for in workers’ compensation claims, and often represents the largest portion of recoveries in a personal injury case.
The experienced personal injury attorneys at Cohen & Riechelson have already helped countless clients across Paterson, Trenton, Hamilton, Pennington, and the greater Mercer County and Bucks County area.
Our firm is always prepared to go to court, and insurers across the Mercer County and Bucks County region know this and as such, are much more open to settlement and negotiation. We believe in open, honest, and regular communication with our clients, as a well-informed client will always be able to make smarter and more confident decisions than a client who is kept in the dark, or provided with vague and elaborate promises.
To speak with our established and effective personal injury team today in a free and confidential consultation regarding your construction accident personal injury or workers’ compensation case, please contact us online or through either our Hamilton office at (609) 528-2596, our Bensalem, PA office at 215-337-4915, or toll-free at 888-979-6871.