The construction industry is no stranger to serious and even deadly accidents. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also known as OSHA, has classified the most deadly construction accidents to happen on-site as the “Fatal Four.” The most common types of deadly construction accidents typically involve electrocutions, falls, being struck by an object, or getting stuck in between objects while at work.
When you have recently been injured at a construction site while working, there are a few steps to take if you intend to pursue compensation. Knowing which steps to take and taking the necessary precautions after a work-related injury can help to improve the odds of having your case ruled in your favor.
Visit a Doctor
Visit your family care doctor or an emergency room immediately after sustaining your injury while on the job. Do not delay visiting a doctor or a medical professional after you are injured at a construction site, as this may reduce your chances of receiving any form of compensation you are seeking. Your doctor or local hospital will provide you with a thorough and proper diagnosis along with various treatment options that are most suitable for you. Discuss your options, the severity of your injury, and any long-term issues or disabilities you may need to live with due to your injury.
Having a formal medical history and following up with doctors regarding your construction injury is essential to be taken seriously once you begin filing your lawsuit or seeking compensation for your pain and suffering.
Report Your Injury
Report your injury to your manager or the boss you work with on construction sites daily. It is important to officially report any injuries you have sustained while on the job, especially after you have visited a doctor or a medical facility, for a complete and accurate diagnosis. When providing and filing an injury report at your workplace, be as specific as possible while sharing the details of how your injury occurred. Share times, locations, and specific objects or machinery that were being used when you were injured. Details can help to prove your case once you begin seeking additional financial compensation.
It is also important to request a copy of the injury report that you file with the higher-ups in your workplace. Immediately obtaining a copy of the incident report is a way to provide your lawyer or legal representation with the paperwork necessary to move forward with your case without delay.
It is also highly advisable to avoid signing any documents that you are presented with while filing your injury report before speaking to your lawyer. In some cases, companies may require employees to sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement) regarding the incident. Other companies may offer employees a small amount of compensation in exchange for letting the issue go altogether. It is important to review any and all documents you are given by your bosses or higher-ups before placing your own signature on them. If you sign a document that is not in your favor, you run the risk of ruining your chances of receiving the compensation you deserve for any injuries you have sustained while working on the job.
Gather Evidence
While gathering evidence may not be easy, it can significantly help your case once you are in front of a judge or showing the evidence of your injury to a jury. Gathering evidence can entail as little as requesting inventory reports or researching warnings or recalls on various machinery you have used that later resulted in your injury. It can also entail taking photographic and video evidence of your injury as well as the location of where your injury was originally sustained.
After you are injured on a job site, take photos or video of the machinery and tools involved as well as the various structures and overall location where you were working at the time. If you are too injured and unable to gather evidence on your own, ask a friend or coworker who is also available on the job site to take the photos and videos for you.
If possible, gather eyewitness reports from coworkers who were with you at the time of your injury as well as any other eyewitnesses near the construction site. The more evidence you are able to obtain the actual incident, the easier it is to pursue a financial compensation case.
In some locations, it may also be possible to request a copy of any security camera footage that was recorded at the time of your injury incident.
Seek Legal Representation
Once you have filed an official injury report at work and you have visited a doctor or hospital, it is best to begin seeking out a construction accident attorney to represent you. Searching for a construction accident attorney is imperative to avoid hiring legal representation that is unsure of how to properly address your claims or move forward with your case. With an accident attorney who specializes in construction-related injuries, you gain peace of mind knowing that you are in the right hands as you continue to press for the financial compensation you require for a full recovery.
Working together with a construction accident attorney is one way to move your case forward while feeling prepared, informed, and confident in your case. With the right lawyer, you can receive the compensation you deserve for an injury you have sustained while at a construction site.