What Legal Compensation Can an Injured Construction Worker Sue for?
Accidents on construction sites are unfortunately quite common. Since a building site is a very dangerous workplace, many workers get hurt and others even lose their lives in the line of duty. When workers get hurt, they are usually covered by workers’ comp benefits. Workers’ comp benefits help a lot during the injured worker’s recovery process, and it includes medical benefits, permanent disability benefits, temporary disability benefits, death benefits, and rehabilitation benefits.
However, worker’s comp benefits do not cover all accident-related expenses. In such instances, the injured worker can seek additional damages by filing a lawsuit against third parties that caused the incident. Liable third parties can include the subcontractor, property owner, product manufacturer, and negligent workers. Moreover, the compensation for a construction accident lawsuit usually entails:
Medical bills
You and your loved ones can seek full settlement for all your medical bills such as testing and diagnosis, emergency room treatment, and all forms of treatment including surgery. Moreover, since injured workers can seek coverage for current and future medical bills, you should not accept any settlement cash until you know the full amount you will need for your future medical expenses.
Additionally, you can seek damages like other out-of-pocket expenses such as medical supplies, prescriptions, transportation, home or vehicle modification, and home or support services like landscaping and housekeeping.
Loss of wages and benefits
You can recover damages like loss of income and benefits. This may include salary, health insurance, paid time off, and retirement contributions among others.
Loss of earning capacity
Workers who are unable to work because of their injuries deserve to be reimbursed for losing their earning capacity. They can also seek recovery if they have to be employed in a lower-paying job. The loved ones of a deceased worker can also file for loss of earning capacity.
Emotional Trauma
If you sustained severe traumatic injuries which caused you to develop emotional trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), then you can file for damages.
Pain and suffering
These damages are not only substantial, but they can also account for a majority of a severely injured worker’s settlement amount.
Other non-financial losses
Apart from emotional trauma, pain and suffering, and PTSD, workers who have been hurt can also get reimbursed for other non-financial losses like loss of enjoyment of life, loss of consortium, loss of society, and reduced quality of life.
Wrongful death
When family members file a wrongful death claim, the settlement they will receive will be determined by the laws that govern the state they reside in. Since wrongful death laws differ from state to state, it may be wise to speak to your local lawyer to determine which family members can file a claim and the amount of settlement those members can get.
Conclusion
If you want to discover whether you have a personal injury claim, a worker’s compensation claim, or both, you should contact an attorney immediately. Not only will the lawyer help you get your worker’s comp benefits but will also assist you in pursuing possible additional damages from third parties.