When employees are injured on the job, often workers compensation becomes the first and only option that comes to mind for covering lost wages, medical costs and other damages. The fact is, however, employees injured on the job may be able to bring a personal injury claim for compensation against other entities or persons depending upon the circumstances of their injuries.
Construction jobs, for instance, often involve a variety of players: construction companies, architectural firms, vendors and suppliers and engineers all have an impact on the level of danger inherent in the workplace, and therefore, have a part to play in keeping the workplace as safe as possible.
If a construction worker suffered an on-the-job injury, it could have been caused by a variety of issues that would bring these entities into focus when examining possible liability. If those issues can be related to negligence on the part of a responsible party, a traditional personal injury claim may be made to recover damages that go beyond workers compensation.
Let’s say that a construction worker is injured while working on a site where faulty equipment is being used. Heavy machinery and trucks are a mainstay on a construction site. But if that equipment is found to have a flaw in design or in manufacture that caused the injury, the manufacturer of the equipment may be liable for your injuries. If a construction site design is particularly (and unnecessarily) hazardous—particularly out of step with industry standards, for instance—the injured worker may have a case for personal injury damages against the construction company in question.
If an architecture firm has designed a structure that falls below standards of engineering and the worker is injured as a result during the construction process, the building’s engineer(s) and/or architecture firm could be held liable for damages.
It is important to understand that avenues for compensation for your injuries and lost income following a workplace injury do not end with workers compensation. Seeking the counsel of an experienced workplace injury attorney like those at Bizzieri Law Offices in Chicago can help to illuminate the possible damages in your case as well as all possible responsible parties.
Our personal injury attorneys are skilled in litigation and have a wealth of experience winning the highest awards for personal injury damages. We work assiduously to insure our clients receive the largest compensation awards to which they are entitled. Call us today at 773.881.9000. We can help
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