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Santa Monica Construction Site Accident Attorney

Santa Monica Construction Site Accidents Attorney

Construction is a dangerous profession. Statistics show that construction workers are injured in on-the-job accidents relatively often when compared to workers in most other industries.

Have you been hurt in a construction accident in or around Santa Monica? If so, you may recover compensation for your medical bills and other economic losses you’ve incurred as a result of your injuries. Discuss your case with a Santa Monica construction site accidents attorney at Randolph and Associates for more information.

Common Santa Monica Construction Accidents

Construction accidents take many forms. The following are a few noteworthy examples:

  • Falls from heights
  • Equipment or other such items falling and striking workers below
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Equipment falling or overturning and landing on top of workers
  • Fires
  • Explosions
  • Electrocutions

Seeking Financial Compensation After A Construction Site Accident In Santa Monica

Often, when a person has been injured in an accident, they must first prove their accident resulted from another party’s negligence before they can recover financial compensation for losses and damages associated with their accident. This may require conducting a thorough
investigation.

However, proving negligence typically isn’t necessary when a victim of a construction site accident seeks compensation. In California, injured workers can pursue compensation for their medical bills lost wages, and other such losses by filing claims for workers’ compensation benefits.

California legally requires nearly all employers to purchase workers’ compensation insurance. If you’ve been injured on the job as a construction worker, you can file a claim with your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier, even if your accident wasn’t the result of someone else’s actions or carelessness. You only need to prove that your accident occurred while you were operating within the scope of your employment to demonstrate that you’re eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits.

What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover After A Santa Monica Construction Site Accident?

The process of recovering workers’ compensation benefits may not be as lengthy as the process of recovering compensation in other types of personal injury cases. This is due to the fact that you don’t need to prove negligence caused by your accident to recover workers’ compensation benefits in California. Not having to conduct a thorough investigation to identify the negligent parties responsible for causing an accident can allow an attorney to resolve your case more efficiently. However, there is a trade-off workplace accident victims should be aware of. If you’re filing a claim or lawsuit after being injured in an accident resulting from negligence outside of the workplace in California, you might be able to recover compensation for certain non-economic losses, such as pain and suffering.

Workers’ compensation benefits generally only cover economic losses. Examples include:

  • Bills for medical care
  • Temporary disability benefits
  • Supplemental job displacement benefits
  • Return-to-work supplements
  • Death benefits, which may be paid out to the surviving loved ones of someone who died
    as a result of a workplace accident in California

Filing A Third-Party Claim After A Construction Site Accident In Santa Monica

The fact that workers’ compensation benefits don’t offer coverage for non-economic losses in California doesn’t necessarily mean it’s impossible for an accident victim to recover compensation for such losses and damages in our state. It is sometimes possible for a victim to file a separate third-party claim to pursue additional compensation when workers’ compensation benefits don’t provide all the compensation they need based on the extent and severity of their injuries and related losses.

This may be an option when a construction site accident results from a third party’s negligence. Examples of negligence that can cause an accident at a construction site include (but aren’t limited to) the following:

  • A property owner fails to address or warn of a hazardous condition at a construction site.
  • The designers or manufacturers of a piece of construction equipment overlook a defect that causes an accident.
  • The designers or manufacturers of a construction worker’s safety gear overlook defects that render said gear ineffective.

Again, those are just a few examples. After filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits, a victim whose accident resulted from negligence can also file a claim or lawsuit to collect additional compensation from the insurance of the negligent party.

They must gather sufficient evidence showing their accident resulted from the liable party’s carelessness or actions to do so. This may require conducting an investigation. While you may lack the resources necessary to conduct such an investigation yourself, a Santa Monica construction site accident attorney could leverage their firm’s resources to investigate your accident on your behalf.

How Does A Santa Monica Construction Accidents Law Firm Help?

Workers’ compensation insurance carriers aren’t charitable organizations. They’re businesses. Like any business, an insurance company will attempt to protect its bottom line whenever possible.

Injured workers often learn this fact the hard way when they file claims for workers’ compensation benefits. Upon filing your claim, you may find the insurance company will first attempt to deny it. An insurer could justify denying your claim by arguing that:

  • You weren’t on the clock and operating as an employee when your accident occurred.
  • You were injured because you were intoxicated at the time of your accident.
  • You were injured as a result of engaging in horseplay.
  • You intentionally injured yourself, perhaps in hopes of receiving a workers’ comp payout.

A Santa Monica construction accident attorney can investigate your accident to gather evidence proving it happened while you were working. They can also present evidence showing you were not injured as a result of intoxication, horseplay, or an intentional act on your part.

A qualified Santa Monica construction accident lawyer will also handle all correspondence and negotiations with the insurance company. If the insurance company attempts to offer less compensation than you deserve, your attorney can reject their unreasonably low offers and fight for a more appropriate settlement.

At Randolph and Associates, our Santa Monica construction site accident attorneys value the role construction workers play in our society. When construction workers are injured, we’re committed to helping them recover the compensation they deserve. Learn more about what we can do for you in these circumstances by contacting us online or calling us at 310-395-7900 for a free consultation.

Have You Been Injured In An Accident?

If you have been involved in an accident or injured due to the negligence of someone else, it is important that you seek legal representation. The trusted and experienced attorneys at Randolph and Associates are here to guide you in the aftermath of your accident and fight on your behalf to get you the compensation and justice you deserve. Contact us today for a free consultation.
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