There are many hazards workers face at a construction site, from heavy equipment to slippery floors. That is why there are numerous safety rules in place to keep workers safe in Minnesota. Sometimes even when following the rules, constructions accidents can occur. For instance, if a piece of equipment malfunctions at no fault to the user, then it can lead to disastrous results and even death.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the construction industry held the highest number of fatal work injuries in 2018. If a construction worker is injured on the job, then they might be entitled to certain worker’s compensation benefits to cover some or even all medical expenses and lost wages.
An experienced team of Minnesota construction accident attorneys understand all aspects of the local worker’s compensation laws. They have the time, resources, and knowledge to competently battle a case. Therefore, they can fight on your behalf for maximum compensation even if your claim is denied.
Call Robert Wilson & Associates today at (612) 334-3444 to request your confidential case review or fill out our simple confidential case review request found throughout our site.
How can Minnesota Construction Accident Attorneys Help?
Recovering from an injury is hard enough, but when you have to deal with filing a claim and fighting for a worker’s compensation benefits it only adds to the stress. Medical bills will naturally pile up, and the lost time from work means lost wages that are needed for other necessary bills.
All of these factors can place significant stress and strain on the victim and make it hard to see a complicated legal issue clearly. Minnesota construction accident attorneys can fight on your behalf while you focus on healing if injured or mourning the loss of a loved one due to a construction accident.
In some cases, worker’s compensation claims are denied. This is not always the end. An experienced Minnesota construction accident lawyer will know how to fight a denied worker’s compensation claim. They understand the intricacy of local worker’s compensation laws and how to cut through the red tape.
Why Choose Robert Wilson & Associates?
At Robert Wilson & Associates, we rely on the teamwork of our experienced attorneys to guide our client’s through legal battles and fight for a favorable outcome. Even though you have only one of our knowledgeable attorneys assigned to your case, know that an entire team of dedicated legal professionals are collaborating on your case.
Client satisfaction is of the utmost importance to our firm. From our paralegals to our attorneys, everyone on our staff is committed to treating our clients as if they were family. We want nothing more than for you to win fair compensation to offset the expenses due to your tragic construction accident.
It is through this client dedication and extensive experience we have become one of Minnesota’s largest workers’ compensation law firms. We always are open and honest about all the steps in the case and possible outcomes. Whether just providing information on filing claims or aggressively fighting a denied claim, we are there for our clients every single step of the way.
Construction Accident Practice Areas
Unfortunately, many things can go wrong on a construction site. There are many types of construction accidents, and we have experience fighting a variety of construction accident injury cases. We have outlined some of the most common types of construction accidents below:
Equipment Malfunction
There are supposed to be many systems and protocols in place on construction sites to ensure equipment is working properly. This ensures heavy or dangerous equipment does not injure workers. If those safety checks are not done properly or thoroughly completed, then an equipment malfunction could easily happen. Or, sometimes a manufacturer cut corners and did not properly assemble or test the equipment. Whatever the reason for the issue, if you were injured due to an equipment malfunction a Minnesota equipment malfunction attorney will be able to fight for your maximum worker’s compensation benefits. Here are some of the types of equipment malfunction cases we have handled:
- Crane Collapse – At a construction site, cranes are often the largest and most complicated machines on site. Cranes demand close attention and are sometimes difficult to manage, and if these machines malfunction in any way, dangerous accidents, such as crane collapses, can occur.
- Scaffolding Collapse – Scaffolding collapse happens frequently on construction sites, and can lead to serious injury or even death. Because scaffolding is often constructed to access extremely great heights, the chances for injury increase exponentially if the scaffolding fails to stay upright. However, not just the workers who are on the scaffolding are in danger. The workers underneath the scaffolding and those working close to it are also in danger of being injured as well.
- Electrocution – Electrocution is dangerous and can result in serious injury or even death. Using tools and electric equipment is necessary for construction workers, but malfunctioning equipment can lead to injury in addition to heavy financial and physical burdens. If you are electrocuted, your recovery may take a lot of time and prevent you from working, increasing the burden on you and your loved ones.
- Improper Maintenance – The nature and severity of the hazard created by improper maintenance of construction tools and equipment varies according to the kind of device that is neglected. An unsuspecting worker who operates an inadequately maintained tool or machine may suffer injuries requiring medical treatment and missed time at work.
If any of these types of equipment malfunctions have harmed you or someone you care about, please talk to a qualified Minnesota construction equipment malfunction attorney today.
Slip and Fall
Slip and fall accidents are among the most common types of accidents on construction sites. There are so many hazards on job sites that could cause a slip or fall. Below are a few common reasons for slips and falls on a construction site.
- No harnesses provided for tasks completed at elevated heights
- Liquids are not thoroughly cleaned up or marked properly on the ground
- No handrails in areas with hazardous footing
- Improperly marked steps or changes in ground elevation
These are only a few of the reasons a slip or fall could occur on a construction job. A Minnesota slip and fall accident attorney will be able to tell you about your rights to financial compensation to cover medical expenses, lost wages, and other expenses related to your injury.
Lifting Injuries
Constant heavy lifting at construction sites often puts a strain on a person’s body. Our construction site lifting injury attorneys have experience working with a wide variety of lifting injury cases. Some of the cases we have handled include the following types of injuries:
- Back Injuries – Heavy lifting is the primary cause of back injuries at the workplace. If a back injury is left untreated or if you are not allowed to rest, your injury can become more serious or it may not heal properly.
- Shoulder Injuries – Virtually any task performed with the arm incorporates the shoulder in its execution, and as a consequence of this, shoulder injuries can make it difficult for construction workers to carry out even the most basic occupation functions. The consequences of excessive strain on the shoulders due to heavy or repetitive lifting may include tendonitis, bursitis, Rotator cuff tears, and dislocations.
- Leg Injuries – Whether through the incremental strain of many smaller lifts or due to one incident of attempting to lift excessive weight, a leg injury could interfere with a construction worker’s ability to work for days, weeks, or even months.
If you suffered an injury listed above or another type of injury while lifting heavy loads, then you might be entitled to certain worker’s compensation benefits to offset your medical costs due to the accident.
Amputations
Because construction workers often deal with heavy machinery and tools, workers are often at risk of losing limbs in severe and tragic accidents. The loss of a body part can be traumatic both physically and emotionally, forever altering the victim’s life. When this happens, the worker deserves fair compensation for both their current and future medical care and costs, and financial losses moving forward. The ways that amputations can affect you financially include:
- Lost wages due to inability to work
- Surgical costs
- Physical therapy costs
- Cost of prosthetic limbs
- Emotional therapy costs
If you are suffering from any of the financial burdens of an amputation, you should fight for fair financial compensation.
Wrongful Death
Losing a loved one is never easy, but when it is due to a tragic and sudden construction accident it is unfathomable. An experienced Minnesota construction site wrongful death lawyer can help secure fair compensation so the family does not struggle financially during their time of grief. In some cases, this will be in the form of death benefits provided by the worker’s compensation policy. In others, for example, If the worker was killed due to the negligence of a third party ( like a contractor working on the job site) the surviving family members could seek compensation through a third-party wrongful death claim.
Wrongful death is a type of civil claim in which the prosecution (usually a family member of the victim) asserts that another party is liable for the death of the victim. There are many ways that a construction company can be held responsible for the death of an employee. Some of the construction wrongful death cases we handle involve:
- Death caused by a breach of safety codes on the part of the company
- Failure to provide safety gear such as a harness
- The collapse of a faulty scaffolding or structure
- Negligence to properly prevent objects from falling
If you lost a loved one due to negligent behavior on a construction site, not only do you have to deal with the loss itself but also the financial repercussions of losing a family provider. This is unacceptable.
Construction Accident Frequently Asked Questions
Dealing with an accident and filing a worker’s compensation claim brings up many questions. Here are a few commonly asked questions we hear from potential clients. If the answers below do not answer your particular question or you would like to ask questions specific to your case, please call us at (612) 334-3444 to schedule a confidential case review.
Does every employer have worker’s compensation for their employees?
In Minnesota, worker’s compensation is a no-fault system and is mandatory by every employer unless they are self-insured. It is meant to provide benefits to any employee who is injured completing any employment activity at their workplace.
Who is entitled to worker’s compensation?
Any person that is injured at work due to an employment related accident, regardless who is at fault, can file a claim. In some cases, employers and insurance companies have unjustly denied legitimate claims. This is when an experienced Minnesota construction accident lawyer can fight aggressively on your behalf to strive for fair compensation.
What does worker’s compensation cover?
There are three major benefit types for worker’s compensation. Those are wage loss, medical, and vocational rehabilitation. Here are expenses worker’s compensation often covers or includes:
- Medical bills
- Hospital expenses
- Therapy
- Lost wages during time off from work due to the injury, recovery, and rehabilitation
- Vocational rehabilitation services
- Permanent disability benefits
- Benefits for family members in a workplace death case
- Travel expenses for medical appointments and rehabilitation
How much will I receive from worker’s compensation?
Every case is unique as each accident and its fallout are different for each person. That means there is no one payout price. Factors that impact benefits received are type of injury, severity of the injury, cause of the injury, medical bills, expenses related to the injury, and amount of wages lost due to the injury. At Robert Wilson & Associates, we make it a point to give our clients realistic expectations on the outcome of the case. We do not inflate assessments of cases but provide honest and realistic assessments of each case for our clients.
Contact Us Today for a Confidential Case Review
If you, or a loved one, were injured working on a construction site, then the medical bills are likely piling up. Don’t wait to get started on filing for your worker’s compensation benefits. At Robert Wilson & Associates, we are committed to helping our clients throughout this challenging time. Call us today at (612) 334-3444 or simply respond in our online chat box to request your confidential case review.