The average construction site includes more than just one party working on the project. Parties involved may include a general contractor, several subcontractors, the property owner, a site manager, and more.
How do you know if you are involving the right entity or people in a legal claim? How can you ensure that you are properly asserting your rights after an accident? With so many individuals or entities that could potentially be at fault for a construction accident, it is easy to get overwhelmed.
What Should You Do After A Construction Accident?
Using a thorough investigation and a seasoned construction accident attorney are both necessary under these circumstances. As part of this process, you should take the following steps after a construction accident.
Get Immediate Medical Attention
Regardless of whether you injured yourself while passing by a construction zone or if you were working in the construction area, your health should be your first priority. If you need to call 911 and get emergency help—do it!
If you do not think that emergency care is warranted, you should get medical attention as soon as practicable after the accident. For employees who are injured, you likely need to coordinate with your supervisor to ensure that you are going to an approved doctor for workers’ compensation purposes.
Report the Incident
You should let someone know that the accident happened as soon as you can after your injury. However, determining who you should notify can be tricky. If you are a worker, then you need to let your employer know about the accident.
If you are not a worker, then figuring out where or how to report is far less straight-forward. You may want to speak directly to anyone that is managing the site, whether that is a project manager or the property owner. If you know that the injury was caused by a specific contractor, you should let that person or entity know about the incident as well.
Keep in mind that some employees may also have a legal claim against someone other than their employer in construction accidents. If you believe your accident was the result of someone else’s carelessness who does not work for your employer, you need to also report the incident to that entity or individual as well.
Gather Names & Contact Information for Witnesses
If others saw your accident, it is a good idea to get names and phone numbers that you can pass on to a lawyer so the lawyer can speak to them later.
Talk to a Construction Law Attorney
If you were injured at a construction site, your legal claim could become complicated quickly. Talking to an attorney early in the process allows your lawyer to collect the information and data they need right away, while the facts of the incident are still fresh on everyone’s minds. Do not wait to make this connection, or you may risk losing your legal right to get money damages after the accident.
If an insurance company calls you before you have a lawyer, you are usually better off speaking with an attorney before talking to the insurance company. If you decide to speak with an insurance company before talking to a lawyer, be very cautious but truthful. Remember the insurance company will use everything you say against you later if it can.
Contact Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs, LLP
Give the team at Gingras, Thomsen & Wachs, LLP a call to learn more about how we can help. After an accident, we know how important it is that you heal and get back to work. The construction lawyers at GCW have years of experience investigating and asserting claims for those involved in construction accidents throughout Wisconsin.
