Fresno Construction Site Accident Attorney

Construction is a dangerous profession. Each year, many employees sustain serious injuries on construction sites, including broken bones, brain trauma, spinal cord damage, and amputation injuries. In many cases, these injuries are fatal. If you are injured on a Fresno construction site, you may be eligible for financial compensation. In these situations, the lawyers at Freedman Law can fight for your right to recovery. Our Fresno construction site accident lawyers can represent your lawsuit or workers’ compensation claim and secure the settlement that you deserve.

Fresno Construction Accident Resources

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Why Choose Us
Construction Site Accident Statistics
How Much is My Fresno Construction Accident Case Worth?
Workers’ Compensation for Fresno Construction Site Injuries
Can You File a Lawsuit for a Construction Site Injury?
What Are Common Construction Site Injuries?
What Should I Do if I See Unsafe Working Conditions?
What to Do After a Construction Site Accident
Speak to a Lawyer Today

Why Choose Us

• Our Fresno personal injury attorneys have built a comprehensive legal system that has helped thousands of injured people secure compensation, including construction accident victims.
• Our firm is the highest-rated personal injury firm in the Central Valley. We strive to provide the best possible service from consultation to settlement.
• We operate on a contingency fee basis. You will only pay legal fees if we secure a financial award in your case.

Construction Site Accident Statistics

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), approximately 20 percent of private industry worker deaths in 2019 were in construction. During that year, every one out of five employee deaths involved a construction worker.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provides the following data on the most common causes of workplace fatalities for construction workers.

• Falls are responsible for 36.4 percent of the total number of fatalities in 2019.
• 15.4 percent of construction worker fatalities involved being struck by an object or equipment.
• Electrocution injuries accounted for 7.2 percent of construction worker deaths. A Fresno electrocution injury attorney is prepared to fight for justice on your loved one’s behalf.
• 5.4 percent of construction worker fatalities occurred when an employee was caught in or between objects or machinery.

How Fresno Construction Accidents Happen

Construction site accidents can occur for a number of reasons, but human error is commonly a contributing factor. Worksite mistakes that can lead to serious or even lethal construction accidents include:

• Failure to provide or enforce safe operating methods and procedures
• Failure to provide or maintain safety equipment
• Obstacles or tripping hazards left in a work zone
• Failure to limit access to or warn of dangerous areas, such as open shafts or holes
• Defective equipment
• Failure to address known dangers

Although these are some of the most common reasons that construction accidents arise, negligence or an unsafe working environment can cause a number of other problems. There may also be an issue of liability if construction vehicles and trucks entering or exiting the workzone cause an increased risk to other motorists on the roadway. If you’re in an accident due to a construction vehicle, a Fresno truck accident attorney may be able to help. Speak to a construction site injury lawyer to determine whether there is a path to compensation for your accident.

How Much is My Fresno Construction Accident Case Worth?

To determine the actual value of your unique case, it is necessary to calculate the costs and losses of your construction accident injury. In a California personal injury case, there are two types of damages: economic and non-economic.

Economic damages refer to compensation for verifiable financial losses such as:

• Previous and future medical expenses
• Loss of earnings
• Cost of rehabilitation or ongoing care
• Loss of use of property, such as work equipment
• Loss of employment or business opportunities

Non-economic damages refers to compensation for non-monetary, subjective losses such as:

• Pain, suffering, or emotional distress
• Loss of enjoyment of life
• Loss of companionship
• Loss of consortium

In some instances, when a construction company or fellow employee’s reckless or negligent actions directly caused you harm, punitive damages may be pursuable. Punitive damages are considered punishment and may be awarded when the defendant’s conduct is found to be particularly harmful. Your Fresno construction accident lawyer can help you get a better sense of your case’s worth and help you decide what course of action you’d like to pursue.

Workers’ Compensation for Fresno Construction Site Injuries

If you sustained an injury while working on a Fresno construction site, you may be eligible for a workers’ compensation claim. All employers in California are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance, regardless of their number of employees.

If you are injured while performing your job duties, you can file a workers’ compensation claim and recover benefits, regardless of fault or negligence. However, filing this type of claim will prevent you from pursuing a lawsuit against your employer over the same incident.

The types of workers’ compensation benefits available after a Fresno construction site injury generally include the following:

Medical Expenses

Reasonable medical treatment for your injury and related symptoms. Your employer’s insurer must pay up to $10,000 even if your workers’ comp claim is eventually denied. However, the treatment must meet the guidelines set by the DWC to be approved. 

Temporary Disability 

Typically two-thirds of your weekly wages while you are recovering. 

Permanent Disability 

Benefits if your doctor confirms you are unable to fully recover. The benefit amount will depend on your impairment level, age, and occupation. 

Supplemental Job Displacement 

If you cannot return to your same job position due to your injury, up to $6,000 may be available to pay for retraining or skill enhancement so you can work in a different position or job.   

Death Benefits

If a worker is killed, their family will receive up to $10,000 for burial expenses and benefits calculated based on the number of total and/or partial dependents. 

Can You File a Lawsuit for a Construction Site Injury?

In some cases, a construction site accident occurs due to another person or entity’s negligence.In cases involving defective products, you can hold the manufacturer, distributor, or retailer accountable through a product liability claim. You can also file a lawsuit against a coworker, contractor, vendor, or even your employer, as long as negligence is present. For example, a defective machinery lawsuit in Fresno can be filed if you were harmed by a malfunctioning or improperly manufactured item. A contractor or third party visiting the construction site may push you off scaffolding during a heated argument. Your employer may actively encourage unsafe work practices, putting you and your coworkers at risk of injury.

In these situations, you could file a lawsuit against the person or company responsible for the accident. If you believe that negligence contributed to your construction accident injury, you should speak to a lawyer about your legal options before filing a claim. A Fresno construction site accident attorney can evaluate your case and help you understand your optimal path to compensation.

What are Common Injuries From Construction Site Accidents? 

Any accident on a construction site can cause catastrophic injuries, such as the following: 

• Broken bones
• Head and neck injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Back and spinal cord injuries
• Exposure to hazardous substances
• Crush injuries
• Loss of limbs
• Burns
• Paralysis
• Eye or ear injuries
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Wrongful death

Should you lose a loved one to a preventable construction accident, the Fresno wrongful death lawyers at Freedman Law are ready to fight for justice for your family.

What Should I Do If I See Unsafe Working Conditions on a Construction Site?

Take the following steps to report unsafe working conditions on a construction site in Fresno: 

• Notify your employer of the hazard in writing and allow them the opportunity to fix it. 
• File a complaint online with OSHA if the hazard is not corrected within a reasonable amount of time.
• Download the OSHA complaint form, fax it, or mail it to your local OSHA Regional office.
• Call your local OSHA Regional Office to discuss your complaint.

If you believe the unsafe working conditions are life-threatening, you may have the right to refuse to work. In these cases, it is best to immediately call your local OSHA office or the toll-free number (800)-321-OSHA. If your employer retaliates against you for refusing to work due to unsafe conditions, you may file a discrimination complaint. This can be done online or by contacting your local OSHA office, and in most cases, a complaint can be filed with both the state and federal OSHA.

What to Do After a Construction Site Accident

A construction site accident can cause serious harm to you, another worker, or a loved one that works in the industry. In the event of an onsite incident, the following steps may be useful:

1. Seek medical attention as quickly as possible. As soon as an accident occurs, check yourself and any other victims for injuries. Even if you do not have any obvious signs of injury, it is best to visit a doctor as soon as possible. Serious injuries, such as brain injuries, may take days or even weeks to become noticeable.
2. Document the accident, any injuries, and all medical care received. Once you have escaped the dangerous situation and received medical care, write down all the information about the accident that you remember. If safely possible, get photographs of the accident scene before leaving and take pictures of an injuries you or other victims suffered. Take down the contact information of any witnesses, as they can help investigators determine exactly what happened. Record any medical expenses related to your treatment and keep copies of all medical records you receive from your doctor or hospital.
3. File a report with your site supervisor, manager, or company. As soon as you are able to, file a report with your employer or a figure of authority at your worksite. Follow your company’s incident protocol and complete whatever paperwork is required. You must do so within thirty days of the accident, or risk losing your rights to compensation under California workers’ compensation law. Be as detailed as possible in your write-up of the incident.
4. Contact our Fresno construction accident attorneys. Although you may file a workers’ compensation claim on your own, you will likely benefit from the assistance of an experienced construction accident lawyer in Fresno. Filing a successful claim can be challenging and difficult, and our attorneys will fight to secure compensation for you as you recover from your accident. If you decide to pursue a lawsuit in lieu of a workers’ compensation claim, our team can explain your legal options.

Set Up a Consultation With Our Law Firm Today

If you are injured while working on a construction site, the lawyers at Freedman Law can help you secure the compensation that you deserve. Reach out online or call us to schedule a consultation and discuss your next steps with a Fresno construction site accident lawyer.