Unfortunately, construction sites pose endless threats to all people who step onto them. While construction workers, no doubt, experience the highest risks of all, it’s possible for anyone on a construction site to get hurt.
Let’s say you had to walk through a construction site that was en route to your destination. Upon entering the civilian walkway, you weren’t aware of some of the unsafe conditions present on the site. As a result of these worksite hazards, you tripped, fell, and broke your arm.
Now what?
Read on to learn what to do if you suffer an injury while visiting a construction site.
Seek Medical Care Right Away
After suffering an injury while visiting a construction site, the very first thing you should do is seek immediate medical care. You want to make sure your injuries are addressed promptly and adequately so you can begin the journey to recovery.
If you fail to seek medical care right away and, as a result, your ailment gets worse, this can impact potential compensation down the line. The best first step you can take is to have yourself checked out by a medical professional and begin any recommended treatment right away.
Collect Evidence from the Construction Site
If possible, do what you can to collect evidence from the construction site showing how dangerous it is. You particularly want to document the unsafe condition that led to your injury.
Record the hazardous conditions by taking photos and videos of the area on the site where you got hurt. If there should have been signs describing the dangerous conditions, do what you can to document the omission.
Proving Negligence on Behalf of the Construction Site
In order to have a viable case for a visitor construction site injury, you must be able to prove that the construction site operators owed you a duty of care. As a civilian walking down the street, you are owed a duty of care for safety. You should not have to worry about staying safe while walking the street just because some nearby infrastructure is under construction.
Essentially, you must be able to prove the following:
- The property owner, operator, and/or manager had a duty of care to keep the construction site safe,
- That duty was breached, and
- The breach of duty caused you harm or injury.
It is not always easy to prove a duty of care as well as a breach of duty, which is why it’s always best to have a skilled attorney on your side for cases like this. The right attorney will be able to show that the construction site was unreasonably dangerous and that danger caused you to sustain an injury.
It’s best to work with an attorney who has comprehensive knowledge about:
- Premises liability,
- Construction regulations, and
- The responsibilities of site managers and owners.
Obtaining Compensation in a Construction Site Injury Claim
Injuries sustained on construction sites have the potential to be very serious and may even cause lifelong harm. It doesn’t matter what your injuries look like, as long as they were sustained as a result of another’s negligence, you should be able to recover compensation for at least the following damages:
- Medical expenses
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Travel costs related to ongoing medical care
Unfortunately, construction site injury cases are often very complicated. It’s possible for several parties to be held accountable for the harm you’ve sustained, such as the:
- Landowner
- Developer
- Construction company
- Subcontractors
- Individual laborers
Additionally, you may have a products liability case if you were injured as a result of defective:
- Machinery
- Equipment
- Tools
Seek a Skilled Pennsylvania Construction Injury Attorney
The very best thing you can do for your case is seek counsel from anexperienced construction injury attorney. Having skilled representation on your side to help fight for your rights will make all the difference in the outcome of your case.
Don’t delay—reach out to our office right away with any questions you may have.