Recovering
$ MILLIONS
For Injured Pennsylvanians
Reading Construction Site Accident Lawyer
Personal Injury Law Firm Handling Construction Site Accident Claims For Clients in Reading, Pennsylvania
Reading, PA is the county seat of Berks, County and part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area, a region that also includes Philadelphia, Upper Darby Township, Pennsylvania, Camden, and other suburban Philadelphia cities and regions. With a 2020 population of 6.288 million, the Delaware Valley is the nation’s seventh-largest metropolitan region. Given the size and continued growth of Reading, it is no surprise to see more construction accidents. This is why having an experienced Pennsylvania construction accident lawyer is essential if you or a loved one has suffered a construction accident injury.
Each year workers and visitors at construction projects are injured or killed. This is the tragic reality in an older city with constant infrastructure and building maintenance and repair, not to mention new construction that comes with growth and expansion. This means construction workers, as well as other people on construction sites, are at risk of serious and permanent injuries or death.
Construction is also an inherently dangerous industry. Industrial spaces and work zones are swarming with crews, heavy machinery, and materials as well as toxic chemicals. This is why workers and construction site visitors are vulnerable to construction accident injuries.
Larry Pitt & Associates has a team of experienced construction accident lawyers ready to help people who have been hurt while at work, while in the car, or while passing by a construction project recover compensation. We have represented the injured in and around Reading for more than 40 years with their construction accident cases.
We deal with the general contractor, insurance company, and property owners, and if necessary. We determine liability and against whom to file a construction accident case against the responsible parties to recover medical bills, lost wages, and all the financial compensation a person is entitled to under the law including pain and suffering.
GET A FREE CONSULTATION WITH LARRY PITT
Fighting for Construction Workers in Reading, PA
If you were hurt on a construction site, Larry Pitt & Associates is here to help. We’ve been representing construction workers and site visitors for more than 40 years. Please call 888-PITT-LAW or fill out our contact form to schedule your free consultation at one of our office locations. We are proud to serve clients throughout:
- Lehigh County
- Lancaster County
- Northampton County
What is the Most Common Injury on a Construction Site?
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the construction industry is one of the most dangerous, leaving the construction worker at great risk of serious accidents causing life-threatening injuries, harm, or death. According to their data, “4,764 workers died on the job in 2020 (3.4 per 100,000 full-time equivalent workers). Workers in transportation and material moving occupations and construction and extraction occupations accounted for nearly half of all fatal occupational injuries (47.4 percent), representing 1,282 and 976 workplace deaths, respectively.”
OSHA has a label for the most common fatal construction accidents. They call them the “Fatal Four.” These four types of construction accidents are responsible for more than half of all construction work deaths each year:
- Being caught in between, or crushed by, a structure, material or machine
- Electrocution
- Falls
- Struck by objects
There are many other types of construction workplace injuries that have many different causes including:
- Unguarded scaffolding – Companies that fail to use certain implements or safety features (guard railings, toe-boards, scaffold ties) in violation of Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) standards are potentially liable for resulting injuries.
- Struck by falling objects – Tools and equipment that slide off of high scaffolding can cause serious injuries to workers, pedestrians, and passersby.
- Construction debris – Job site debris may be responsible for slip-and-fall accidents.
- Defective equipment.
- Snow and ice – Construction site operators have a duty to ensure that workers are able to maintain safe footing while working.
- Table saw accidents.
- Electrocution – Construction workers often work close to live wires.
- Chemical burns – Burn injuries can be caused by exposure to live electrical currents on construction sites.
- Exposure to toxic chemicals.
- Elevator accidents.
- Forklift accidents.
- Crane collapses – Cranes are heavy-duty machinery that can cause serious and long-lasting injuries to construction workers.
- Ladder accidents – A ladder accident often involves a fall from a great height, resulting in serious injury.
- Power tool injuries – These include table saw accidents and nail gun injuries.
- Failure to warn – Construction site operators have a duty to post clearly visible warning signs that alert workers to hazardous areas.
- Inadequate safety equipment, safety measures, and training.
- Inadequate hazard communication.
- Eye and Face protection.
- Respiratory protection.
- Crane accidents.
- OSHA safety regulations violations.
Regardless of how careful a worker may be, construction accidents happen, and injured workers are entitled to recover compensation. Depending on the facts and circumstances of a case, an injured worker may have a worker’s compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit. A visitor to the site may have construction accident claims as well.
Only an experienced Reading construction accident attorney can evaluate a case to determine if a worker may collect workers’ compensation benefits or if another individual has a construction site injury claim against the general contractors or possibly equipment manufacturers. In any case, the injured and their loved ones are entitled to collect money for injuries, lost income, permanent disability, and even death benefits.
The Reading construction accident lawyers at Larry Pitt & Associates have years of experience with construction site accidents. Our attorneys will know what type of construction accident claim you may have for injuries or construction worker deaths. They know how to collect fair compensation through either workers’ compensation claims or personal injury lawsuits.
Most Common Construction Accident Injuries
As indicated above, there are many ways by which a construction worker or visitor to a construction site can be injured or killed. Most Doylestown construction workers are affected by these common types of injuries including:
- brain injuries and spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic brain injury
- back injuries
- broken bones
- shoulder injuries
- emotional distress
- nerve damage
- permanent scarring
- amputation
- paralysis
- wrongful death
Regardless of the injury, if you are the victim of construction site accidents or your injury is work-related on the job site, injury victims are entitled to seek compensation from the construction company under Pennsylvania law. Whether your claim is through workers’ compensation insurance or personal injury lawsuits, you are entitled to fair compensation for medical bills, your accident injuries, rehabilitation, permanent disability, lost income, or death benefits.
Workers’ Compensation Claim or Personal Injury Lawsuit?
Employees who sustain injuries while working are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits under Pennsylvania law. The construction industry like other businesses is required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. An injured worker may have a claim against their employer, general contractors, and/or a third-party contractor.
Workers’ compensation benefits may possibly be the only means by which an injured worker can recover compensation for injuries, lost wages, rehabilitation, permanent disability, or death. However, in some cases, there may not be a workers’ compensation claim and our experienced Reading construction accident attorney will have to consider a personal injury claim. For example, you would file a personal injury lawsuit instead of a workers’ compensation claim for common construction accidents if:
- You are a contractor, and therefore ineligible for workers’ comp.
- You are visiting a construction zone in a supervisory manner, delivering materials, or working for an outside vendor – in short, when you are not an employee of the construction company.
- You are passing by a construction project (such as walking to work or trying to get to another building in the area) and you are injured due to work at the site.
- You are driving through a construction zone.
- You are driving through road work.
- You were injured by a defective machine or tool or other construction materials on the site.
A Larry Pitt & Associates Pennsylvania construction accident attorney has years of experience. Only a Reading construction accident lawyer can evaluate the facts of your case and determine what type of claim you may have.
What Our Clients Say
Third-Party Liability Claim Arising from Worksite Accidents
Each Reading construction accident lawsuit has a unique set of facts. In some cases, it’s very clear how the injury was caused, who is responsible, and whether a workers’ compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit is the best legal method of collecting maximum compensation. However, there are cases where the facts may be a bit more complicated, and after an investigation by either OSHA, an insurance company or a Reading construction accident lawyer, it may be revealed that a third party is a negligent party against whom a claim should be made.
For example, you are working on scaffolding and it collapses. You are injured. An investigation may uncover that the scaffolding itself was defective. While you may have thought you had a workers’ compensation claim, it may turn out that you have a personal injury claim against the manufacturer of the scaffolding. It is important that each case be thoroughly investigated and evaluated by both investigators and a Reading construction accident attorney. There are many parties who might have liability in your case including:
- General contractor
- Subcontractors
- Property owner and/or construction site owner
- Architects and Engineers
- Equipment manufacturers
It’s essential that those who have suffered construction accidents don’t attempt to evaluate their own case. The law is complicated and nuanced when it comes to who is responsible for your injuries and what type of claim you may have. Our goal is to recover compensation against all liable parties in order to make you whole again.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do I have to file a construction accident claim in Pennsylvania?
What should I do immediately after a construction accident?
After a construction accident, prioritize your safety and seek medical attention for any injuries. Report the accident to your supervisor or employer, gather information about the incident and witnesses, and take photographs of the accident scene if possible.
I was injured while working as an independent contractor at a construction site. Can I still pursue a claim?
As an independent contractor, you may not be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, depending on the circumstances of your accident, you may still have the right to pursue a personal injury claim against parties whose negligence contributed to the accident.
I was injured in a construction accident, but I don't have legal work status in the U.S. Do I still have rights?
Regardless of your legal work status, you are generally entitled to workers’ compensation benefits in Pennsylvania if you are an employee and suffered a work-related injury. Your immigration status does not typically impact your eligibility for these benefits.
