Proven Newark Construction Accident Lawyer

Helping You Get Full and Fair Compensation after a Construction Site Accident

According to data gathered by the Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, more than 150,000 people suffer some type of injury on a residential or commercial construction site every year. Furthermore, even though there seems to be awareness of the dangers associated with construction projects, the numbers of accidents and injuries have been steadily climbing for the last decade, with a 41% jump from 2011 to 2019. Whether you were injured by the careless actions of your employer or a co-worker, or because of the wrongful acts of an unrelated third party, you want an experienced and aggressive attorney to help you get the monetary compensation you need to cover your losses and help you move forward with your life. The Lee Law Firm can help.

Results-Oriented Construction Accident Attorney in Newark

For more than three decades, attorney Edward Lee has aggressively fought to protect the rights of personal injury victims in New Jersey, including men and women who have been hurt in a construction site accident. Highly respected by his colleagues for his courtroom skills, Ed has been certified as a civil trial attorney by the New Jersey Supreme Court for nearly 20 years. He’s been in the “Top One Percent” of attorneys as distinguished by the National Association of Distinguished Counsel and has long been a New Jersey Super Lawyer. He maintains an Excellent rating with Avvo and is a Top Lawyer Lifetime Member of the Global Directory of Who’s Who.

Common Types of Construction Site Accidents in Newark

It can seem as if there’s danger around every corner on a construction project. The factors most often responsible for causing construction site injury include:

• Falls from heights—Falls by workers on upper levels of a project often result from the failure by owners or general contractors to install adequate railing, barriers or other fall protection devices. Falls from poorly maintained, positioned or anchored ladders or scaffolds are also commonplace, as are accidents involving buckets, slings and other devices.
• Falling objects—General contractors, subcontractors and other workers are often careless about leaving items around that may fall on persons below. That can include tools, machinery, building supplies and waste/debris.
• Dangerous or defective products—Power tools, machines, and other types of equipment may break down of otherwise malfunction, causing injury
• “Caught-between” accidents—Workers are often crushed or squeezed between objects on a construction project, such as beams, equipment, construction materials and large tools
• Contact with or exposure to high voltage electrical current—Construction workers may make accidental contact with existing power lines or come too close to unprotected live electrical lines on the job
• Motor vehicle accidents—Construction sites are often busy thoroughfares, with many large and small vehicles traveling about
• Lack of training, experience or supervision of co-workers—Owners and general contractors often hire people without enough experience, fail to provide them with necessary training to properly run a machine, or fail to ensure that employees follow safety guidelines

What Measures Should You Take to Protect Your Rights after a Construction Site Accident?

In the moments following a construction site accident, your first concern should be for your health. Take any potential injuries seriously—don’t try to diminish or ignore your injuries! If you don’t think you can safely move around on your own, or if you are experiencing head, neck or spinal cord pain, stay where you are until emergency personnel arrive (if you can do so safely). Even if your injuries seem minor or insignificant, get a thorough medical exam as soon as possible. The longer you wait, the greater the risk of an intervening injury, which can make it far more difficult to prove that the construction site accident caused your injuries. In addition, delaying treatment can impede your recovery and give opposing attorneys ammunition to contend that your injuries were minor.

When you’re being examined by a doctor or nurse, be sure to document all your injuries. Don’t focus on the obvious trauma, like broken bones, but forget to tell them about the stiffness in your neck, back or hips.

You can also help your attorney immensely by getting pictures of anything related to the accident, such as the conditions that led to the accident, as well as your injuries.

You must notify your employer within 14 days of your accident, but it’s almost always the best approach to give notification as soon as possible.

How Do You Establish Fault in a Construction Injury Lawsuit?

The recovery of compensation after a construction injury may come through a workers’ compensation claim, a civil lawsuit, or both, based on who caused the injury. Workers’ compensation claims provide benefits for injuries caused by your employer or a co-worker. To qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, you must prove that you were injured and that the injury occurred during the course of your employment. The benefits available through a work comp claim are limited, though, to replacement of lost wages, payment for vocational rehabilitation or training, and reimbursement or payment of all necessary and reasonable medical expenses.

You can, however, file a civil personal injury lawsuit for any loss or injury caused by a third party, such as the manufacturer of a defective tool or machine, a worker on an adjacent project, or the driver of a motor vehicle who is not a co-worker. In a personal injury lawsuit, you have the right to recover damages for physical pain and suffering, loss of companionship or consortium, and loss of enjoyment of life (in addition to lost wages and unreimbursed medical expenses, as in a work comp claim). To succeed with a personal injury lawsuit, though, you’ll have to demonstrate to the court that the defendant was negligent (failed to act as a reasonable person would have under the circumstances).

Furthermore, a personal injury lawsuit can take years to resolve, unless you settle out of court. With a work comp claim, if your application for benefits is approved, you’ll typically start receiving benefits within a few weeks.

Contact a Newark Construction Accident Law Firm for a Free Consultation

Take the right step after an injury on a construction project. Call the Lee Law Firm at 973-315-9080 or contact our offices online to schedule a free initial consultation with the Lee Law Firm. We can come to your home or the hospital to meet with you, if necessary. Evening and weekend appointments are available upon request. We accept all major credit cards. Nosotros hablamos Español!

Don’t worry about the potential costs of quality legal representation. We’ll take your construction site injury claim on a contingent fee basis. We won’t bill any attorney fees unless we recover compensation for your losses.

The Lee Law Firm, LLC
It’s Not Just Business—It’s Personal!