Port St. Lucie Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction is one of the most dangerous jobs in Florida. Each year, hundreds of construction workers are seriously injured in a variety of mishaps. Many of them need to take months off from work to recover, and they face intense financial distress because they cannot go back to their jobsite and earn a paycheck.
Even members of the public can be injured when visiting or walking near a construction site. These individuals also face high medical bills and lost income, along with pain and emotional anguish.
Call Smith, Ball & Báez today. We are a team of experienced Port St. Lucie construction accident lawyers. Getting the compensation that you deserve isn’t as easy as you might think. Instead, tap our vast base of knowledge about how to secure favorable compensation based on the facts of your accident.
Types of Construction Accidents
Construction sites are dangerous. In addition to working at great heights, construction workers must navigate motor vehicles coming in and out of the area at all times, as well as falling debris and slippery surfaces.
Our clients are usually injured by:
- Falls—workers can fall off a roof or slip and fall on the ground.
- Collisions with motor vehicles—dump trucks, forklifts, and cars are moving in and out of the site all the time and can strike a worker.
- Hazardous equipment—a defective blowtorch, nail gun, saw, or scaffolding could fail to work and hurt you.
- Explosions and fires—these accidents can cause serious burns and fatal injuries.
- Electrocution—live wires are a danger at many sites.
- Toxins or airborne substances—workers can inhale or ingest toxins and particulate matter, causing lung injuries and other illnesses.
- Excessive noise—noise can lead to hearing loss, an unacknowledged problem at construction sites.
- Structure collapse—a partially built structure can fall in on workers, with deadly results, or a building might fall down early during demolition.
Anyone hurt while working can typically claim workers’ compensation benefits, which cover on-the-job injuries. Workers’ comp pays for medical care and provides disability benefits that cover a portion of your lost income. Injured workers can usually qualify for vocational training if they can’t return to construction work.
Under Florida law, a worker cannot sue their employer if they receive workers’ comp. But other parties could be to blame, including the site owner, a subcontractor, or the manufacturer of equipment. If personal protection equipment fails, for example, you might sue the manufacturer for a defect. A third-party claim of this type is very helpful at increasing the amount of compensation you take home, especially for pain and suffering.
Any member of the public can also bring a claim if they are hurt. For example, a crane collapse could land on the sidewalk, or they could be struck by a dump truck pulling out of the construction site. People injured in this way can often sue many different parties, such as the head contractor or the construction worker individually.
Helping Those Injured in Construction Accidents
Please call our law firm today if you were injured at a construction site. A Port St. Lucie construction accident lawyer at Smith, Ball & Báez can provide a free consultation.
