Working in construction is one of the most dangerous jobs on the planet. Construction accidents happen frequently, and unfortunately, many result in serious injury or death.
If you’ve been injured while working in construction, here’s why it’s critical to file a lawsuit immediately.
1. You won’t get proper compensation outside the court system
If you want proper compensation, you need to file a lawsuit. The greater your injury, the more money you’ll need, and you won’t get that outside of the court system. You’ll never be able to negotiate with your employer or their insurance company to get what you deserve. Only a lawyer can get you the compensation you’ll need to pay your medical bills, household bills, and cover your lost wages.
After an injury, you’ll face all kinds of financial challenges
Filing a lawsuit is your only chance at recovering the funds you need to pay your bills. First, you’ll need to take time off work for medical appointments and if you’re hospitalized you’ll be out for a good while. During this time off, you won’t be earning your usual salary, which means your household bills will pile up.
If you have a padded savings account, you’ll have to use that money just to survive. If you don’t have a savings account, your bills will go unpaid.
2. Lawsuits help shine light on the problem
It’s already known that construction is a dangerous industry, but it’s hard to see the actual consequences when nobody’s talking about it. In New York, for example, 25% of all workplace deaths happen on a construction site.
The more lawsuits injured workers file, the more the problem becomes visible. Lawsuits usually get mentioned in the news, which spreads awareness and puts employers on notice that they might be next.
Since the problem is particularly big in New York, this has led to many attempts at making construction job sites safer. For instance, a recently proposed law is promising to increase the financial penalties for employers found guilty of criminal safety lapses. Increasing the fines for letting safety lapse is supposed to be a deterrent for employers who intentionally overlook safety measures.
While laws can’t guarantee worker safety, they do help by putting pressure on employers to make sure they don’t let safety fall to the wayside. By filing a lawsuit after your injury, you’re helping to keep lawmakers aware of the problem.
3. Your employer should be held accountable
Genuine accidents happen, but some accidents could have been prevented. For example, safety equipment sometimes fails when it hasn’t been properly maintained.
If you were injured because your employer was negligent in keeping safety equipment properly maintained, or for any other reason that puts your employer in a position of acting negligently, they need to be held accountable so they’ll be forced to make changes. The best way to do that is by filing a lawsuit.
You’ll never be able to change your employer’s ways by talking with them. If they let safety equipment maintenance slip, the only thing that will change their ways is a lawsuit that forces them to step up.
4. You might qualify for punitive damages
You might think a lawsuit is only for recovering money for your medical bills and lost wages. These are just two of the most common compensatory damages awarded to accident victims. You might also qualify for:
- Pain and suffering
- Lower quality of life
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Property damage
- Loss of companionship
- Disfigurement and impairment
Being awarded some of all of these damages can add up to a large amount of compensation, but it’s possible to get more than compensatory damages in a personal injury lawsuit.
What your case is worth will depend on your individual circumstances, but it’s possible that you might qualify for punitive damages, which can sometimes be equal to or greater than the amount of compensatory damages.
Punitive damages are designed to punish the employer and force them to change their ways. These damages aren’t always awarded, but are more common in cases where a company has displayed gross negligence.
For example, if a company was aware of a safety issue and failed to address it, an injured victim will be more likely to be awarded punitive damages.
Don’t ignore your rights – file a personal injury lawsuit
Although it might seem easier to let things go, don’t walk away without filing a lawsuit. You have the right to file a personal injury lawsuit against your employer and doing so is your best chance at remaining financially stable while you heal.