If you are injured on a construction site in Massachusetts, it’s important to take quick action to protect your rights. Depending on the severity of the injury, there may be several steps you need to take.
Watch The Video
Get Medical Attention
First and foremost, seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have injuries that require immediate care. Even if you don’t think you’ve been injured, seeing a doctor on the day of a construction site accident is important for the following key reasons:
To protect your health and well-being by ensuring that you receive the proper medical care for injuries whose symptoms may not have manifested yet
To document your injury as soon as possible, in case you decide to pursue a workers’ compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit
Report Your Construction Site Accident
Once you have seen a doctor, it’s important to report the incident to the construction site manager or supervisor immediately. This is especially true if there were witnesses to the accident. The manager should be able to provide an Incident Report Form and direct you on how to proceed with filing a workers’ compensation claim. If they do not direct you accordingly, contact the Massachusetts Department of Industrial Accidents for further instructions.
Gather Evidence
Collect any evidence that is available at the scene of the accident, including photos and witness testimonies if applicable. It is critical to document who was responsible for causing the injury so that appropriate legal recourse can be taken.
Also, avoid making any statements regarding how the incident occurred. Such communications, even if made with good intention, may be used by other parties or their insurance companies in an effort to protect themselves from liability.
It is critical to document who was responsible for causing the injury so that appropriate legal recourse can be taken.
Avoid Discussing or Posting About Your Accident
It’s best to minimize discussions or social media posts about your construction site accident if you’ve been injured. Even if you are certain that the injury was another party’s fault and the accident was unavoidable, these details may come into play later on in the claims process. Stick to only discussing your case with legal advisors.
In addition, don’t post anything on social media. The insurance company may attempt use such postings against you in an effort to reduce your settlement amount.
Meet With a Massachusetts Construction Site Accident Attorney
While the workers’ compensation system is designed to protect injured employees, navigating it can be difficult and time-consuming. An experienced Massachusetts construction accident attorney can help you understand your legal rights and determine the best course of action.
Along with helping you file a claim for benefits, they may also be able to advise on whether seeking other types of financial recovery, such as a personal injury lawsuit or third-party liability claim, is appropriate in your situation.
Often, construction site accidents are the result of someone’s negligence. Examples of negligent parties who may be liable when an accident occurs at a construction site include:
The owner of the construction site
The general contractor
Subcontractors
Equipment suppliers
Product manufacturers
Maintenance or repair companies
Architects and engineers involved in the project
A qualified lawyer can review your case to determine if filing a third-party claim against a negligent party is an option. This is valuable, as workers’ compensation in Massachusetts may not cover all your losses/damages resulting from an accident.
In Massachusetts, workers’ compensation provides coverage for:
Medical bills
Lost wages
Disfigurement and scarring
Permanent disability
Typically, workers’ compensation doesn’t provide compensation for such damages as:
Pain and suffering
Loss of enjoyment of life
Emotional distress
Punitive damages.
In some cases, a personal injury lawsuit can provide additional financial recovery for these types of losses. A skilled construction site accident attorney can help you understand your options and decide the best course of action for seeking compensation after a work-related accident in Massachusetts.
Contact a Massachusetts Construction Site Accident Attorney Today
Our legal team at Swartz & Swartz, P.C., has extensive experience handling complex construction site accident claims throughout Massachusetts. We can review the full scope of your case and develop an effective strategy to pursue maximum compensation on your behalf. This gives you the freedom to focus on your recovery in the aftermath of an accident. Call us today at (800) 545-3732 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation with one of our attorneys.
Need Help?
If you or someone you know, needs help from a lawyer, contact the law offices of Swartz & Swartz, use our live chat, or send us a message using the form below and we’ll get in touch to assess your case and how we can help.
About the Author: David W. Faraci
Keep Reading
Want more? Here are some other blog posts you might be interested in.
These playground safety tips protect kids. However, if your child is hurt in an accident, you may have grounds to file a claim for compensation.
Research shows smartphones, lack of pedestrian infrastructure, and other such factors have led to an increase in traffic deaths in the U.S.
Small parts that can harm children are common in many products, even when federal law bans them sometimes.
