Georgia Construction
Accident Lawyer

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Were you or a loved one hurt on an Georgia construction site?

Finding a lawyer with the right background is crucial. Our Georgia attorneys specialize in securing compensation for injured workers and their families.

Georgia is a big state and quickly getting bigger, as the countless cranes dotting the city skyline can attest to. Commercial and residential construction projects have risen sharply in the Big Peach since the Great Recession, and Georgia is now home to roughly 9,600 private construction companies—many of which are based in metro Atlanta.

Of the thousands of American workers who die on the job each year, approximately 20 percent of deadly work accidents happen on construction sites—making construction the most dangerous industry in the United States. One in 10 construction workers is injured every year, according to the Occupational Health & Safety Administration (OSHA). Approximately 150,000 construction site injuries are reported each year.

Even for those of us who aren’t employed by the construction industry, jobsites can pose a danger to passersby, visitors and the general public. Everyone is responsible for their own safety when entering a construction zone; however, some parties have an added responsibility to preserve the health and well-being of anyone on the jobsite—whether they work there or are just passing through.

If you or a loved one were seriously injured while working at a construction site or simply when you were near one, you should know that Georgia personal injury and workers’ compensation laws allow injured individuals and their families to recover compensation in many circumstances. Damages that can be awarded include reimbursement for medical bills, lost wages and pain and suffering. But first, you may need to establish liability (or fault) and hold the at-fault party responsible for their negligence. We can help.

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Types of construction work

A construction accident can happen to anyone, but construction workers are statistically more likely to be male, Hispanic and foreign-born compared to the rest of the American workforce, according to the Center for Construction Research and Training (source).

The construction industry is one of the fastest-growing industries in the U.S., and it encompasses a wide range of occupations and areas of specialization—including:

● Ironworkers
● Roofers
● Engineers
● Electricians
● Project/Safety
   Managers
● Foremen
● Inspectors
● Laborers
● Painters
● Drywall installers
● Masons
● Glaziers
● Plumbers
● Pipefitters
● Carpenters
● Equipment and
   Crane Operators
● Surveyors
● Consultants
● Planners
● Designers
● Elevator installers

What are the most common accidents in construction?

The 4 main types of fatal construction accidents—known as the “Fatal Four”—are as follows:

 

Slip, trip and fall

Falls are by far the most common cause of fatal construction accidents, accounting for over a third (36.4 percent) of all work-related deaths in the industry. Lack of fall protection is the most-violated OSHA standard. Construction workers should take extra caution when working from roofs, ladders and scaffolding. Pedestrians should also look out for obstacles when traveling through a construction zone as clutter and tools on the ground can cause them to trip.

“Struck by” incidents

This category of accidents encompasses any injury that results from being struck by a rolling, falling, flying or swinging object. These objects can be building materials (such as bricks, lumber and nails), tools (such as hammers, saws and drills) or vehicles (semi-trucks, tractor-trailers, forklifts, dump trucks, bulldozers, front loaders, backhoes, graders, trenchers, cranes, crawlers, compactors, excavators, concrete mixing trucks and passenger vehicles). Wearing the recommended personal protective equipment (PPE) can help shield workers from some of these dangers.

Electrocution

Electrical injuries account for a large portion of construction accidents. Contact with unsecured or unmarked live wires and arc flashes are responsible for an average of 143 construction fatalities each year. Hundreds more are seriously injured. Some simple prevention measures to reduce the number of electrical accidents on construction sites include following safety requirements, disconnecting/unplugging machinery when not in use or damaged, property grounding and insulating electrical equipment, regularly inspecting equipment and providing sufficient training on jobsite safety.

Caught-in/between accidents

Construction workers can get pinned, squeezed, crushed, trapped or stuck in or between heavy machinery, fixed objects and trenches. While not quite as common as other types of construction accidents, these accidents are extremely dangerous and frequently result in broken bones or amputation of a limb, if not death.

While not part of the Fatal Four, toxic and hazardous chemical exposure is another hazard faced by anyone who works on a construction site, or lives near one. Some of the most dangerous substances commonly found on construction sites include lead, mercury, asbestos, polyvinyl chloride (PVC), chemical solvents, paint thinners, pesticides, carbon monoxide, gasoline and tar. Prolonged exposure to certain toxins can cause long-term health effects and serious illnesses like respiratory problems and cancer.

Construction injuries can be serious

A scraped knee or bruised hip can be painful and annoying, but it often doesn’t rise to the level of legal action. However, plenty of other construction injuries can be debilitating, catastrophic and life-changing. We help construction accident survivors recover from injuries such as:

● Traumatic brain 
    injury (TBI)
● Spinal cord injury 
    and paralysis
● Amputation
● Broken bones
● Neck and 
    back injuries
● Knee and 
    ankle injuries
● Electrocution
● Vision loss
● Severe burns
● Hearing loss
● Eye/face injuries
● Lead poisoning
● Repetitive stress  
    injuries (RSIs)

What to do after a construction accident

The steps you take in the moments following a construction accident can have a huge impact on your compensation claim and your eventual recovery. What steps you should take next largely depends on whether you are a construction worker or a (non-payed) visitor. Most injured construction workers will go through the workers’ compensation system, whereas injured visitors or passersby can sue the at-fault company or individual for personal injury damages.

Steps for construction workers

Help! I was injured while working at a construction site. What now?
 
 

Notify your employer

(unless you require emergency medical care, in which case call 911 and notify your employer as soon as you can). In Georgia and many other states, you must report your injury to your employer within 30 days or else risk having your claim denied. Notify them in writing, if possible.

Seek medical attention

Get medical care from an approved doctor from your employer’s list of authorized treating physicians and follow their recommendations to the letter. Don’t miss any appointments.

File a claim

If your employer has workers’ compensation insurance, then you have 1 year to file a claim to recoup your medical expenses, lost wages and vocational rehabilitation (if needed). Most (though not all) employers in Georgia with 3 or more full-time, part-time or seasonal workers are required to carry workers’ comp. Independent contractors are generally not covered.

Document everything

Throughout your claim, take care to save and organize all documentation regarding your claim, including medical bills, statements, correspondence with doctors and insurers, communication with your employer, etc.

Consult an attorney

Before you agree to a settlement or payout, always be sure to meet with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney who can ensure that what you are being offered is fair. If your claim was denied or you are an independent contractor, meet with a lawyer near you as soon as possible to review your case and prepare for next steps before the statute of limitations expires.

Steps for everyone else

Help! I was injured while visiting a construction site, or traveling near one. What now?
 

Seek medical attention

First and foremost, your health and safety should be taken care of. If you are seriously injured, call 911 or have someone nearby do so for you. Even if you don’t seem to be seriously hurt, visit a doctor or urgent care clinic as soon as possible for a medical evaluation.

Report the accident

After a construction accident, notify the proper authorities such as the supervisor of the construction site or the local police. This helps establish a record and also allows the danger to be addressed so that nobody else is injured.

Gather evidence and information

If you can do so safely, try to gather important evidence before leaving the accident scene, such as the names and contact information of eyewitnesses, as well as pictures of the scene and your injury. Also, jot down as many details about the accident as you can while the memory is fresh.

Keep all records

Be sure to save all files and records that pertain to your construction site injury, including medical bills, statements, missed workdays and communication with the construction company and/or their insurer.

Get legal help

Most importantly, consult with an attorney as soon as possible so that they can start investigating the details that led up to the accident, file the necessary paperwork, ensure that important deadlines are met, negotiate with the other party to secure the best possible outcome for you and take your case to court if necessary.

Why should I seek legal help after a construction accident?

Profit margins are already tight in the construction industry, which is why construction companies often dispute legal claims that threaten to make their project go in the red. They often do this by shifting the blame to someone else or falsely claiming that an injured worker isn’t eligible for workers’ compensation benefits.

What’s more, figuring out who is responsible for a construction accident can be complicated by the fact that various companies, contractors and subcontractors may all be working on a single construction project at any given time. In some cases, the owner of the property might be liable. Other times, the manufacturer of a defective tool or piece of equipment may be to blame. Determining fault in such cases—which is an essential first step—requires the skill and experience of a professional with decades of experience and deep knowledge of how the construction industry works.

At The Offices of Julian Lewis Sanders & Associates, our Georgia personal injury lawyers have decades of experience representing victims and survivors of construction accidents. We can help calculate the full value of your case, and not what the construction company or insurance company says they think your claim is worth. We aren’t afraid to go head-to-head with insurers, construction companies and others to secure the best possible outcome for you and your family.

Meet your Georgia construction accident attorney

Julian Lewis Sanders founded The Law Offices of Julian Lewis Sanders and Associates in 2003. The firm proudly serves the communities of Georgia in personal injury law.

“Growing up in a military family, I learned the importance of dedication and honor early, which established a foundation for my eventual
law career.”

Meet Julian Sanders

Let me tell you this is the BEST Law Office to use. The staff is awesome, when I say they look out for you. Julian Sanders staff is awesome as well. It’s been three weeks and they have checked on me each week. If you need an accident Lawyer giver them a call for sure cause they care about you. – Natalie Hill

We want to help you. Give us a chance to listen to your needs, answer your questions, and show you how we will take swift strategic action to help right the wrong that has been done to you.

Call or text the Law Offices of Julian Sanders & Associates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
(678) 705-9581

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CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT

If you would like to learn more about filing a workers’ compensation claim or pursuing a lawsuit against a third party after a construction site accident, then you’ve come to the right place. The team at Julian Lewis Sanders & Associates is standing by to answer your questions and help you determine the next best steps.

Don’t wait too long, as there is a strict time limit placed on these types of cases. The clock is ticking! Talk to a legal professional today to get started.