Construction Accident Lawyer
If you suffered injuries on a Seattle area construction site, a construction accident lawyer from Herschensohn Law can help you hold a third party liable, usually a subcontractor who is not your employer, for your injuries and losses. We can explain your options, discuss our role, and answer your questions.
Contact Herschensohn Law at (206) 588-4344 to talk to our team for free.
Herschensohn Law Fights for Justice for Construction Accident Injury Clients
Our founding attorney Zach Herschensohn’s case results show how hard he fights to recover fair compensation for his clients. Our team has won millions of dollars for clients hurt by someone else’s negligence. We represent victims of construction accidents in Kent, Auburn, Bellevue, and Seattle.
- $1.6 million for a construction worker who suffered career-ending injuries after suffering electric shock on the job
- $375,000 for a marine construction worker who suffered injuries after falling from a height
- $180,000 for a journeyman wireman who injured his shoulder and hip after tripping over unsafe flooring
When we work together, you can count on our team to manage all aspects of your case. We know how to build a strong claim, demand fair compensation, and secure a payout for our clients.
Our team works based on contingency. We do not charge attorney’s fees until the case ends and we win. We never ask for any upfront payments and do not get paid unless you do.
What Are Your Options After a Washington Construction Accident Injury?
While you are likely already receiving workers’ compensation benefits, you might also be able to file a third-party claim if someone—not your employer or coworker—caused or contributed to your injury. On a construction site, this usually means that an employee of a subcontractor, or the general contractor did something unsafe, which caused or contributed to your injuries.
Washington State law allows any person injured due to a third party’s negligence in a workplace accident to hold that party liable. You have two options to do so:
Elect to have the Department of Labor and Industries (DLI) file a claim on your behalf
Hire a lawyer you choose file a claim on your behalf
You Do Not Want to Give Your Case to the DLI
While the DLI will handle a third-party claim on your behalf, it does not have your best interests in mind. It will fight to recover non-economic damages and compensation to cover the benefits it paid out for your claim but will not be worried about ensuring you recover everything you need.
Our team will investigate your accident and fight for all the non-economic damages you deserve. We are dedicated to you and your case, not to countless other cases like the DLI will be.
What Parties Might Be Liable for My Construction Accident Injury?
Our team can investigate your accident to determine whether any third parties may be liable for your injuries and other losses. Potentially liable parties include:
Other Workers on the Site
While Washington State’s Industrial Insurance Act of 1911 gave employers immunity against lawsuits filed by injured workers, that law applies only to employers. There are plenty of other parties present on a construction site. Depending on your case, the general contractor and/or any of the subcontractors present on the jobsite such as:
- Electricians
- Plumbers
- HVAC
- Roofers
- Framers
- Masonry subcontractors
The Property Owner
According to WPI 120.06, site owners in Washington state are legally responsible for ensuring those working or visiting their property remain safe. If there are dangerous hazards, they are responsible for remedying the risk as soon as possible and warning visitors until they can.
If there is an unsafe condition and someone suffers injuries because of it, the victim can often recover compensation by showing:
- There was an unreasonable hazard.
- The hazard caused their injury.
- The property owner (or another controlling party) knew about, should have known about, or could reasonably foresee the hazard.
- The liable party had a reasonable opportunity to remove the hazard or otherwise prevent the accident from occurring.
Our team provides free consultations. We will assess your legal options based on the case facts and explain your rights. We represent clients in these cases.
Construction Accidents Occur in Many Ways
According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the top four causes of construction accidents include:
- Falls: Falls are among the most common workplace injuries in all industries. In the construction industry, workers often fall from an elevated height. Construction workers are more likely to work with ladders and scaffolding than most other jobs.
- Electrocutions: Electrocution can occur because of a negligent electrician, poor wiring in a renovation, or even defective power tools.
- Being struck by objects: Objects falling from above, such as building materials dropped from a higher floor or tumbling from a stack, can cause serious injuries. Workers can be struck by objects if other workers are not using drop-prevention lanyards.
- Being caught in or between objects: This incident can happen in many ways. One of the most common occurs when a trench collapses during work.
There are also other ways injuries occur in the construction industry, on sites undergoing renovation or demolition, and in related industries. These include traffic accidents, defective tools, and more.
The injuries that occur in construction accidents vary widely, too. Some suffer relatively minor injuries and return to work and their normal activities fairly quickly. Others have catastrophic injuries and require months of treatment, rehabilitation, and therapy. They may never return to their previous career or to work at all. Construction accident injuries can include:
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Other head injuries and concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Back and neck injuries
- Fractures
- Burns
- Traumatic amputations
- Internal injuries
- Serious cuts and abrasions
Recovering Compensation for Construction Accident Damages
The damages we seek in a claim or lawsuit depends on the circumstances of your case. Our team calculates a fair settlement range for these cases before demanding a fair payout or filing a lawsuit. Accurately calculating this possible range requires our team to gather evidence of the expenses and losses, know how to work with experts to learn more about the prognosis and future treatment, and estimate the pain and suffering endured.
We must do this to understand how much the case might be worth. We do not want to settle for less than you need to cover your current and future needs and pain and suffering.
Let Our Construction Accident Lawyer Handle Your Case
When Herschensohn Law represents a construction accident injury victim, we know how to navigate the process and pursue recovery for them. We manage all parts of the claims process. They do not have to worry about communicating with the insurance company, protecting their rights, building a case, or how to file a claim. We also handle filing lawsuits, preparing cases for trial, and representing clients in court.
Evidence That Can Support Your Work Injury Case
Before we can demand compensation from the insurer or present evidence to the judge and jury, we need to build support for the case. We conduct an investigation into what happened. This uncovers evidence that could include:
- Any reports about the incident
- Video of the incident
- Eyewitness statements
- An accident scene survey
- Expert testimony
- Evidence of damages
This evidence will allow us to better understand what happened and the role everyone played. This includes identifying the liable party or parties and calculating a fair settlement value.
Approaching the Best Route to Compensation
Next, we determine the best option for approaching your case, whether that is an insurance claim or a lawsuit. Several factors can determine which is the best choice in your case. Our team will review the circumstances of your accident and the pros and cons of each approach with you.
Ultimately, you make the decisions in your case, even if we handle all aspects of it. We provide the guidance you need to make an educated choice, though.
Timeline for Pursuing Compensation After a Washington Construction Accident
Many injury cases do not require us to sue the liable party. We can demand compensation from their insurer, present evidence, and begin negotiations. Our attorney uses proven negotiation techniques to seek and secure a payout for our client. When this occurs, the case ends with a fair payout and no need to sue. Sometimes, lawsuits are necessary, though. These are still more likely to settle than to go to trial.
Under RCW 4.16.080, injured parties generally have up to three years from the accident date to sue the property owner or another party.
Missing this deadline could make it difficult or impossible to recover the money you deserve, even if you have a strong case against the liable party. It is essential to meet this deadline. We encourage you to contact us as soon as your injuries allow. We will help ensure you meet all applicable deadlines.
Discuss Your Options With Our Construction Accident Team for Free
Herschensohn Law provides free case assessments for victims of construction accidents in Kent, Bellevue, Auburn, and Seattle. We will discuss your options and how our construction accident lawyer can help you seek compensation based on the circumstances of what happened and your injuries. We will fight to help you recover the money you need and deserve.
Call (206) 588-4344 or contact us today to learn more.
Our results speak for themselves
After a worker was electrocuted on a construction site and suffered life-changing injuries, we fought and won on their behalf.
When a retired man was killed in a truck accident, we made sure his grieving family got fair compensation.
When a defective medical device harmed our client, we fought to ensure they had the financial compensation needed to recover.
Hurt? Let our law firm handle the details
When you request your free consultation, Kent personal injury attorney Zach Herschensohn will listen to you, answer your questions, lay out your legal options, and give you down-to-earth legal advice.
When you work with our law office, there are no obligations, hidden fees, or fine print. It’s that simple.