Many areas around Santa Ana, California, especially downtown, are developing fast. High-rise projects, including hotels, office buildings, and condominiums, are in progress at any given time. However, with more construction work and building projects comes the possibility of serious construction accidents and injuries.
Construction sites in Santa Ana are often busy and dangerous. The primary dangers associated with these sites result from the heavy machinery and dangerous equipment on the premises. Builders and construction workers must also work on—and around—this dangerous equipment daily on the job site. Therefore, they are at constant risk of serious accidents and injuries while on the job.
If you suffered injuries in a recent construction accident, seek medical care as quickly as possible. Waiting too long to go to a hospital emergency room or urgent care facility may cause your injuries to become significantly worse. Moreover, an insurance company may become skeptical of your work injury if you fail to seek timely medical treatment after your accident.
In addition to receiving the medical care you deserve, you should speak with a knowledgeable attorney about your construction site accident and injuries as soon as possible.
The skilled Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP understand the significant medical expenses, pain, suffering, and inconvenience often accompanying construction site injuries. Our compassionate legal team also understands the tricks and tactics that insurance companies routinely use to try and undervalue both workers’ compensation claims and personal injury claims for monetary damages.
Our legal team can meet with you to discuss your construction site accident and determine your eligibility for pursuing workers’ compensation benefits and/or third-party damages. If you can file a claim, we can take the appropriate legal actions for you, allowing you the time you need to make a full recovery from your injuries.
Our knowledgeable lawyers have recovered millions of dollars worth of monetary compensation for California accident victims, including victims of construction site accidents.
For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable Santa Ana construction accident attorney, please call us or contact us online for more information.
Special note for other law firms: Our legal team has the resources and experience to represent accident victims who suffer catastrophic injuries. We also accept referrals from other law firms regularly. If you intake a case that is too complex or severe for your firm to handle alone, Bentley & More LLP can assist. We bring all of our resources to the table to help injury victims throughout the Santa Ana area, so do not hesitate to learn about our referral program.
Dangerous Equipment on Construction Sites
One reason why building and construction sites are so dangerous is because of the heavy equipment that workers must use on a daily basis. Exposure to this equipment increases a worker’s chances of becoming involved in a serious accident and suffering catastrophic injuries.
Some common examples of dangerous construction equipment on building sites include:
- Cranes
- Diggers
- Cement trucks and other worksite vehicles
- Scaffolding
- Ladders
- Jackhammers
- Chemicals
- Wires
- Explosive devices
If you suffered injuries on a construction site as a result of exposure to dangerous or defective construction machinery, you should speak with an experienced attorney right away. The skilled Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP can determine your eligibility for workers’ compensation benefits or third-party damages in your case. We can then help you file a claim with the appropriate insurance company that seeks the monetary recovery you deserve for your construction site injuries.
Accidents That May Happen on Construction Sites
Due to the heavy and dangerous equipment on construction and building sites, workers are prone to serious accidents and injuries.
Some of the most common construction site accidents that occur in Santa Ana involve:
- Electrocution and burn injuries, when an individual must work around live wires on a job site
- Motor vehicle crashes involving construction vehicles
- Explosions that can lead to burn injuries or eye injuries
- Accidents that happen when a worker falls down from a tall ladder or piece of scaffolding
- Accidents that occur when a piece of construction equipment malfunctions—even when the worker is operating it properly—causing them to suffer a serious injury
- Incidents where a construction vehicle runs a worker over, bringing about serious crush injuries
If you suffered injuries in any of these accidents on a worksite, the experienced Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP are ready to assist you. We can determine your eligibility for filing a workers’ compensation claim or third-party claim for monetary benefits and damages. If you are eligible to proceed, we can assist you during every step of the process—including negotiating with insurance company representatives.
On the Job Injuries That Santa Ana Construction Site Workers May Suffer
Injuries that Santa Ana construction workers and builders often suffer on-site may end up extremely debilitating. When a construction worker suffers a fall injury from a piece of equipment or injures themselves while operating equipment, they may have to remain off work for a significant amount of time. In addition, they may incur mounting medical costs.
Some of the most common injuries that construction workers suffer at their jobs include:
- Crush injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord damage
- Full or partial paralysis
- Permanent soft tissue injuries
- Internal organ damage
- Road rash injuries, including deep lacerations that require sutures, stitches, or skin grafts
As soon as possible after suffering injuries in a construction site accident, you should file a report with your employer’s human resources department and notify your supervisor of the incident. In addition, you should follow up at a hospital emergency room or local urgent care center and ask for treatment. The medical provider there can perform X-rays, MRIs, and brain scans, to ascertain your medical condition.
In addition to seeking ongoing medical treatment after your work accident, you should speak to the skilled Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP right away.
Our legal team can gather your medical records, injury photographs, incident reports, and other documentation to prepare your claim for filing. We can also determine if your accident circumstances warrant a workers’ compensation claim and/or a third-party personal injury claim. Throughout your case, we can help you make both intelligent and informed decisions in pursuit of the highest monetary awards possible.
Eligibility for Workers’ Compensation Benefits in Santa Ana
Injured construction workers in Santa Ana can pursue several different types of workers’ compensation benefits, depending on their circumstances. The purpose of these benefits is to make a worker whole again, as much as possible. The types and amounts of workers’ compensation benefits an individual may recover are very case-specific.
To recover these benefits, an individual must ordinarily have suffered a work-related illness or injury while they were working at their job—and while working within the scope of their employment. Consequently, the worker must ordinarily have been performing a designated job duty when their injury or illness developed. Workers who suffered their injury or illness while offsite may not be eligible to pursue a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.
The actual benefits that an injured construction worker can pursue and recover may include:
- Medical benefits for the treatment that they underwent following their worksite accident
- A portion of the worker’s lost income if they can not work after their accident or if they had to switch to light-duty work
- Vocational rehabilitation benefits, if the worker’s injuries prevent them from continuing at their current job or in their current line of work
- Permanency benefits, if a medical provider determines, to a reasonable degree of medical certainty, that the worker suffered an injury that is unlikely to recover with time
A medical provider can also physically examine you and draft a permanency evaluation. In a permanency evaluation, the doctor will typically express a permanent injury as a percentage of impairment. For example, a permanency evaluation doctor may determine that an accident victim suffered a ten percent permanent impairment to their neck or back.
The experienced Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP have very strong working relationships with medical providers in the area. If you suffered injuries in a construction accident, we can retain one of those doctors to perform a permanency evaluation on you and submit their final report to your employer’s insurance company.
Filing a Third-party Claim for Additional Compensation After a Construction Accident
In addition to filing a workers’ compensation claim for various benefits following a construction accident, an injured worker may also be eligible to recover third-party benefits as part of a personal injury claim or lawsuit.
Injured construction workers may not file a claim or lawsuit against their employer. After all, the main purpose of the California Workers’ Compensation System is to recover monetary benefits from the employer’s insurance company. However, an injured worker may be eligible to file a claim or lawsuit against a negligent third party.
For example, an injured worker can pursue a third-party liability claim against:
- The manufacturer of a defective piece of construction equipment
- Another company that negligently failed to supervise the activity of their employees or maintain construction equipment—or the worksite as a whole—for the benefit of site workers
- Another driver who caused a motor vehicle accident that occurred when the worker was operating a construction vehicle
- A repair facility that negligently performed work on a construction vehicle or tool, causing it to malfunction at the job site
To recover monetary damages in a third-party personal injury claim via settlement or litigation, the injured worker will need to establish:
- That the at-fault person or entity owed the worker a legal duty of care to act reasonably under the circumstances
- That the at-fault party breached—or violated—their legal duty of care to the worker
- That the at-fault party’s breach caused the construction site accident to occur
- That the worker suffered one or more physical injuries as a direct result of the construction accident
As part of a third-party claim or lawsuit, an injured construction worker can recover additional damages, including compensation for their pain and suffering, inconvenience, loss of life enjoyment, permanent impairment, or loss of use of a body part. However, some insurance companies may offer injured construction workers less compensation if they already received monetary benefits through their workers’ compensation claim.
The experienced Santa Ana construction accident lawyers at Bentley & More LLP will do everything possible to maximize your third-party damages and advocate for your legal interests while negotiating with insurance company representatives. We can also file a lawsuit for you if the insurance company will not take your case seriously or fails to offer you the full compensation you need.
Contact a Skilled Construction Accident Lawyer in Santa Ana Today
Greg Bentley & Keith More, Construction Accident Lawyers
If you are a construction worker and recently suffered injuries in an on-site accident, you should take legal action right away. Waiting to retain skilled legal counsel to represent you in your case can be extremely damaging. In fact, waiting too long may jeopardize your right to recover any monetary damages for your construction-accident injuries. Reach out to a Santa Ana personal injury lawyer.
Insurance companies are often large entities with vast resources and teams of lawyers. They make profits by paying as little on as few claims as possible. Needless to say, the insurance company’s interests do not align with your own.
At Bentley & More LLP, we can help you file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits—and/or a personal injury claim—depending on your accident circumstances. In either instance, we will aggressively fight for your legal interests when negotiating with insurance company representatives and pursuing compensation on your behalf.
We can also help you make intelligent legal decisions throughout your pending claim, ensuring you maximize the monetary benefits and damages you are entitled to recover.
Let us help you pursue a monetary award that truly compensates you for your worksite injuries. For a free case evaluation and legal consultation with a knowledgeable Santa Ana construction accident attorney, please call us at (949) 870-3800 or contact us online to learn more.
Client Testimonial
“I’ve had the pleasure of working with Bentley & More for the past 5-6 years. Their drive and compassion to earn great results for their clients is obvious to everyone who works with them.
I’m grateful for the opportunity to partner with the firm to help serve their clients.” – Nicole S. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Bentley & More LLP – Santa Ana Office
Phone: (949) 870-3800