Construction Accidents

The construction industry represents the backbone of America. It’s also the most dangerous industry, fraught with hazards to life and limb. Without hard–working people willing to get up early and work long, hard hours under challenging conditions, we wouldn’t enjoy the homes, office buildings, retail stores, highways and bridges, and other structures that literally form the foundation of our country.

Though nationally, construction fatalities have declined in recent years (969 deaths in 2008, compared to 1,204 deaths in 2007), construction still leads the private sector in fatal work–related injuries. Transportation accidents and falls are a primary cause of construction work related injury and fatality (including falls from a higher level, falls from roofs, and falls from ladders), followed by being struck by an object (including vehicles and equipment). (Source: “National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries in 2008,” U.S. Dept. of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, Aug. 20, 2009.)

In 2005, over 414,900 construction workers suffered nonfatal injury and illness –– of which 157,100 required time off from work (illness representing less than 2.5% of the total figure). And for every 100,000 full–time construction workers in the U.S. that year, 11.1 suffered fatal work injuries. (Source: The Construction Chart Book, The Center for Construction Research and Training, Dec. 2007.)

The experienced Maryland construction accident lawyers at Butschky & Butschky represent clients injured in construction work-related accidents in Baltimore City, Baltimore County, Carroll County, Harford County, and throughout the state of Maryland and the Mid-Atlantic .

Any injured worker should also file a Maryland Workers’ Compensation claim. The Workers’ Compensation claim is completely separate from the third party lawsuit, and is usually filed before any contemplated third party litigation. (NOTE: Under Maryland Law, Workers Compensation insurance carriers are permitted to assert liens against any funds an injured worker recovers in a third–party settlement.) This is a very complicated area of the law, and these liens are frequently reduced via negotiation. Yet another reason construction accident cases are best handled by experienced injury attorneys. (Read more in our blog on Maryland Workers’ Compensation Liens and Construction Accident Injury: “Can I File a Work Comp Claim AND a Third Party Lawsuit?”)

A construction accident injury can take an immense toll on the injured worker as well as their family. An accident can mean hospitalization, surgery, medication, rehabilitation, and physical therapy, adding up to weeks and months of lost wages –– or even permanent disabilities or death. This is why it is so important to contact an experienced Maryland construction injury attorney if you’re been hurt on the job –– or had a family member lose their life –– in the course of performing construction work in Maryland.

Maryland Workers’ Compensation Claims and Construction Accident Cases

Maryland construction workers span the range of construction industry professions, including general contractors; roofers; builders; carpenters; painters; masons; crane, forklift, and other heavy–equipment operators and excavators; truck drivers; electricians; plumbers; welders and iron workers; miners; and of course –– our dock workers in Baltimore and along the Maryland coast.

Maryland construction accident claims and cases can be extremely complicated, due to the number of companies and parties involved on any given work site, from general contractors to subcontractors to specialty trade contractors. Vehicle and equipment manufacturers and maintenance may also be relevant to a construction injury claim or case. A Md. Workers Comp claim or legal case can be confusing and overwhelming to an injured worker who does not have professional legal guidance on their side.

If you get hurt while performing a construction job in Maryland, it’s important to seek counsel from an experienced work injury attorney right away. You are duty bound to report the injury to your employer (as they may be subject to a Maryland Workers Comp claim from you), but don’t say anything more before consulting an attorney. You could suffer further financial injury in the form of a denied claim, if your statements are used against you by insurance company representatives or their attorneys.

If You’ve Been Injured in a Baltimore, Maryland Area Construction Work Accident…

1. Seek immediate medical attention and document your injuries.

2. Report your injury to your supervisor BUT…

3. Please, DO NOT speak to your employer’s insurance company representative, the general contractor’s insurance representative, or any other person claiming to be from an insurer if they contact you! This is very important, as injured construction workers can be misled into giving statements that may be used to deny their injury claims. This is why it is critical to contact an experienced Baltimore, Maryland construction worker accident attorney as soon as possible after your accident, before you speak to anyone else.

4. Get all the information you can about the parties involved when your construction accident occurred (e.g., other construction workers, subcontractors, supervisors, etc.)

5. Note the details of and circumstances surrounding the construction accident (time of day, work and weather conditions, what you were doing, what your colleagues on site were doing, etc.).

At Butschky & Butschky, LLC, our professional Maryland work–accident attorneys only represent workers (plaintiffs) who have been hurt or killed in construction and other work–related accidents –– not the companies or entities at fault (defendants). We are 100–percent focused on relieving our clients and their families of the burden of pursuing insurance claims, Maryland Workers Comp claims, or litigating for compensation for their injuries, medical bills, and lost wages, and in some cases, damages.

We know you work hard, and a construction accident can put you and your family in a difficult situation. For a free consultation to see if you may have a legitimate claim or case against a responsible third–party construction company or other entity –– contact Butschky & Butschky, LLC at 410–472–3651 or toll free at 800–722–6616, or email us today.