If you have suffered a construction injury due to another party’s negligence, you are entitled to meaningful compensation. If your accident took place in Philadelphia or surrounding counties, the personal injury attorneys at Cooper Schall & Levy are here to help you recover the damages you deserve.
Construction sites can be dangerous places, not only for construction workers, but for those who visit construction sites for occupational reasons (e.g. architects, engineers), and for pedestrians passing by. In the city of Philadelphia and the busy adjacent counties, construction is constant as residential and commercial property is developed, roads are repaired, and utilities are updated. Unfortunately, during such growth and maintenance, construction injuries are not uncommon.
For construction workers, such injuries are generally covered under Pennsylvania’s Workers’ Compensation laws. However, if your severe injury was the result of your company’s negligence, you are entitled to sue for damages. Also, third-party claims often arise in construction accidents. For those who sustain construction injuries but do not work for the construction company, filing a lawsuit is usually the best way to recover the damages you deserve.
Services Our Construction Injury Attorneys Provide
As soon as you contact us and we determine that you have a viable case, we will begin taking steps to see to it that you receive the resources you need to pay for your recovery and restart your life by:
- Investigating the site of your accident
- Examining police records and medical reports
- Handling all communications with opposing attorneys and insurance companies
- Investigating the defendant’s history of any similar negligence
- Identifying and interviewing witnesses
- Identifying all responsible parties (e.g. manufacturers of defective equipment)
- Consulting with experts in pertinent fields who may testify on your behalf
Above all, we will work tirelessly to negotiate a just settlement and, if necessary, litigate aggressively to recover just compensation. You will be charged no attorneys’ fees until we recover damages.
Specific Dangers of Construction Sites
It is not surprising that construction injuries are not rare when you consider that construction workers contend with the following daily:
- Uneven terrain
- Large, earth-moving vehicles
- Heavy materials and equipment
- Live wires, hot surfaces, sharp tools
- Lifting and carrying heavy loads
- Working at great heights (e.g. on roofs, scaffolds)
- Being exposed to toxic chemicals
Steps Construction Companies Are Supposed to Take to Prevent Construction Injuries
Construction companies are legally required to take all necessary precautions to protect their workers and the public. They are expected to:
- Educate their employees about the inherent dangers
- Train workers to use equipment and vehicles safely
- Provide their workers with essential protective gear according to OSHA requirements
- Make sure that machinery and vehicles are properly maintained and repaired
- Make sure that tools and equipment are secured so they won’t fall on those below
- Check that scaffolds are properly secured and netting is in place to catch falling objects
- Supervise workers on an ongoing basis
- Make certain that the surfaces workers stand on are free of stray materials and debris
Sadly, some employers fail in their duty to protect their workers through carelessness or fail to repair or replace machinery or vehicles because they don’t want to pay the added expense. Either way, such lapses can result in injuries that require surgery, long recovery, long-term disability, or even wrongful death. This is when you need the construction injury lawyers at Cooper Schall & Levy.
Common Construction Injuries
While accidents can happen as a result of a clumsy movement or medical event, all too often, the failure of employers to provide take the safety measures outlined above may result in construction injuries, including:
- Lacerations, puncture wounds
- Muscle and ligament tears
- Back and neck injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- PTSD and anxiety
- Respiratory injuries from exposure to dust, asbestos, or other particulates
- Crush injuries resulting in internal bleeding and organ damage
- Spinal cord injuries ( e.g. paraplegia or quadriplegia)
- Fractured or dislocated joints (e.g. shoulders, knees)
- Severe burns (thermal, chemical, or electrical)
- Illnesses caused by toxic chemical exposure
- Loss of limb, digit, organ, eyesight, hearing
- Wrongful death
Whatever construction injury you have suffered, you are no doubt overwhelmed physically, emotionally, and financially. Once you contact us, we will take over all legal and logistical matters so you can focus on healing from your terrible ordeal. Whether you are the injured party or you have lost a loved one to wrongful death as a result of a construction injury, we will offer you compassion as well as the consummate legal skill you require to bring your case to a successful conclusion.
Vicarious Liability and Third-Party Claims
You can depend on our experienced attorneys to determine which parties are responsible for your injury. The legal doctrine of vicarious liability holds owners accountable for the negligence of contractors, subcontractors, and their agents/employees, and contractors responsible for the negligence of their subcontractors.
In some instances, a third party — such as a vendor, manufacturer, engineer, architect, or site manager — may be the defendant we target in our lawsuit. Whatever the case, you can rely on us to develop the most effective legal strategy to win you the compensation you need to move forward with comfort and security.
Call Our Philadelphia Construction Injury Attorneys Today
Construction injuries are a lot to handle — physically, emotionally, and financially. Don’t try to go it alone. Cooper Schall & Levy is ready to take over so that you can rest and recover. Contact us now so we can begin fighting for your right to maximum damages for medical costs, rehabilitation, lost income, psychological counseling, replacement services, disfigurement or disability, and pain and suffering. You can count on us to wholeheartedly support you and your family.
Cooper Schall & Levy provides legal counsel to those who have suffered construction injuries throughout Philadelphia and in surrounding counties in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
