Accident Law
Currently the most dangerous place to work in the United States is a construction site; many lives are lost each year. Because the number of accidents started to increase, New York State decided to do something about it and change the law; resulting in the number of specialist accident lawyers rising. Accidents where workers fall are not only the most prevalent but the most feared; but electrocutions, fires, explosions or being crushed by machinery – any one of these can kill.
If you are injured, the first thing you need to do is document what happened and the conditions that caused it; the sooner this is done the better. This will increase your chances of a successful compensation claim as it is easy to pick holes in an incomplete record of events; never underestimate the importance of this.
It should read a little like a police report with the what, when, where and how sections completed; these facts could include details such as:
*When and where it happened *Machinery being used *Any problems with the equipment *The last time the machinery was checked *Witnesses to the incident *Did weather conditions play a part?
This report should be as complete as you can possibly make it; adding every fact no matter insignificant, will assist your accident lawyer and strengthen the case.
If you want a successful outcome to the compensation claim (why wouldn’t you), you will need to choose a specialist attorney or firm; this will increase your chances of a positive outcome. Remember you have had an injury that wasn’t your fault; the legal representative for the other side will be a professional accident lawyer so you need to employ the same.
As the law regarding compensation claims and lawsuits are in the employers favor, prosecution for negligence by the employee is forbidden; this does not mean that others cannot be held responsible for negligence or faulty equipment and these people or companies can be prosecuted. This could be equipment manufacturers, third-party contractors and even the property owners; anyone who is defined as a third party operator can be sued for injury compensation.
New York State is very protective towards construction workers, so in this case, the law is completely on their side; they have made it known that claims will be made against contractors and property owners who do not keep their sites safe. With these laws, no-one should really escape, not even subcontractors. Compensation can also be sought from the equipment manufacturers if the injury was the result of faulty equipment; in cases like this you can be advised on your next step by your accident lawyer. As this area of law is complicated and full of loopholes, it would be advisable an accident attorney with construction site injury expertise; it is more likely a firm that deals exclusively in this type of law will serve you better.