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Recently, a carpenter received a $6 million settlement after suffering spinal fusion when a ladder was improperly placed at a construction site. Such high awards are made possible by the hard work of construction accident attorneys.

Every year, thousands of construction workers are injured on the job, despite a litany of OSHA regulations designed to prevent those accidents. And unfortunately, many of those victims never receive the compensation they deserve.

Despite this plethora of laws designed to ensure that construction workers are properly compensated when they are injured on the job, you still need an experienced attorney to ensure that those laws are properly enforced.

Fighting Your Employer

The first obstacle to getting compensation is your employer. Any accident, no matter how minor, is a black mark for the construction company. And if that accident was a result of safety violations, your injury could result in the company being fined.

This is why you might be pressured not to report an injury or to underreport the severity of an injury. You may also be pressured not to speak to an attorney.

Neither of these is advantageous to you. If you have been injured on the job, the first thing you should do is consult with an experienced construction accident attorney. Your employer can’t legally fire you for retaining counsel, and if they try, it only creates more opportunity for compensation you can receive in a lawsuit.

Fighting the Insurance Company

The next challenge is fighting the insurance company. Even if your employer isn’t playing hardball, the insurance company might.

The insurance company is the one that loses money if your claim is approved, and it has the advantage in any construction accident claim. It assigns an investigator to determine what happened, and it decides how much — if anything — to pay for your claim.

A construction accident lawyer can take away that advantage. Our legal team will independently investigate your accident and collect evidence that proves that your employer was liable for your injuries.

Additionally, we understand the value of your injury. Many insurance companies will attempt to quickly approve a claim while making a lowball offer. If you accept that offer, that clears the case at a minimal cost to the insurer, while you suffer from insufficient funds when medical bills start coming in.

Due to our experience with these types of cases, our attorneys at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos can prevent you from agreeing to a lowball offer. Instead, we’ll fight for the maximum possible compensation the law allows and never let the insurance company get away with giving you less than you deserve.

What Type of Claim Can You File After a Construction Accident?

Generally, if you were hurt on the job, you are eligible to file a workers’ compensation claim. This means that you will receive compensation for lost wages due to any injury you suffered on the job.

While workers’ compensation claims are standardized, that doesn’t mean they are necessarily easy to file. You will be required to fill out a great deal of paperwork and will usually need to provide specific records to prove the truth of your claim. Our attorneys can cut through the red tape and make this process pain-free.

You may also have a personal injury claim. This depends on whether the negligence of another party resulted in your injury. If it did, you may be able to get full compensation for your medical costs and may also receive additional damages for your pain and suffering.

Can You File a Wrongful Death Claim Due to a Construction Accident?

Hopefully, you will never need to file a wrongful death claim. But if a loved one died in a construction accident, you can file a wrongful death claim to get compensation for the loss of companionship and loss of income resulting from that untimely death.

If you find yourself in this situation, consult with an experienced attorney as soon as possible. New York imposes a two-year statute of limitations on wrongful death claims.

Get Legal Help from Personal Injury Lawyers Who Understand Construction Accident Cases

If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident in New York, you may find the labyrinth of regulations and laws that apply confusing. Don’t let yourself get overwhelmed by complicated laws and lose your chance to get fair compensation for the harm you suffered.

Contact the construction accident lawyers at Silberstein, Awad & Miklos today to schedule a free case review.