Construction Accident Lawyer
Where Ever You Are - Whenever You Need Us - Serving All of Southern California
CALL NOW! TOLL FREE for a FREE CONSULTATION 1-877-285-2539
A construction accident often involves significant injuries due to the type of work involved, the number of people involved and the use of large and powerful machinery and equipment. Because of this fact, construction companies must inspect each site with safety engineers and provide safety programs.
The general contractor and all subcontractors are required to provide a reasonably safe site, to warn of hazards inherent in the site and work, to hire careful employees, to coordinate job safety and to supervise compliance with safety specifications. Employers of construction workers must also properly train their employees.
The progress of a construction project is heavily documented by way of meeting minutes, progress reports, progress photos, daily construction reports, foreman’s reports, journals and logs which are kept by project managers, site superintendents, foremen, construction managers, etc. Often the contractors will have their own safety manual, superintendent/supervisors’ manual, and any safety handbooks/orientation handbooks or “tool box” talks which are given to employees. Contractors may also utilize training videos and/or perform job safety or safety task analysis. If the accident is serious enough and there is personal injury, the Occupational Safety and Heath Administration (“OSHA”) will investigate the accident. OSHA will complete an investigation, including taking photographs, statements, and copies of citations issued. All of these items are valuable sources of evidence for determining and assigning liability for your injuries.
Additionally, it may be important to retain an expert. For example, an attorney may retain an expert in accident reconstruction and/or workplace safety. Depending upon the nature of the accident, the attorney may also retain an electrical expert (such as for electrocution cases), product defect experts, human factors experts, etc. While expensive, these experts are helpful in determining the industry standards and regulations and whether the site and companies met with those standards and regulations. In essence, these experts can help to determine who is liable and make or break your case.
Construction accident cases are legally complex because of the number of companies present, the variety of different services provided by these companies, the theories of liability and the need for experts. As a result, there is often considerable overlap in terms of the number of parties who may have caused and/or contributed to your single accident. When an accident does occur, the owners, architects, general contractor, construction manager, all subcontractors, and manufacturers of equipment may be held responsible for inadequate safety provisions.
The companies involved in the construction project will be represented by attorneys whose sole goal is to avoid responsibility for your accident. It will be important to retain an attorney who is not only familiar with this field of law, but willing to undertake the complexities of the case.
Victim of a Construction Accident? Contact us Now!
