If you were injured in a construction site accident, then you need construction accident lawyers in Everett, WA. At Wells Trumbull, we fight for your right to fair compensation, including payouts for injuries, medical expenses, distress, and lost wages. Our team has many years of experience supporting victims just like you to get the money they deserve.
Construction accidents can be severe. Slips, trips, falls, and accidents involving machinery may all result in life-changing disability and reduced capacity. You may not be able to return to work for many months or years, or perhaps not at all implying lost earning potential. Furthermore, even smaller, short-term injuries can leave you feeling distressed, traumatized, and unable to perform your regular duties, leading to loss of income.
After a construction injury, life can quickly change in ways you never expected. Medical bills pile up and paying taxes, mortgage, and rental expenses become more challenging. You can go from feeling affluent to barely getting by in a matter of weeks.
Our Everett personal injury lawyers are here to help. We review your case for free and then tell you whether we believe you will be successful. If so, we aggressively pursue the compensation you deserve, acquiring funds from the party at fault. Contact us at (360)435-1663 today for a free consultation.
Construction Accident Lawyers in Everett, WA, With Experience
Finding construction accident attorneys in Everett can be challenging. However, having the right team for getting the compensation the other party owes you.
At Wells Trumbull, we make it easy. While laws designed to protect construction workers are complex, we navigate this legal terrain for you. In some cases, you may be able to go beyond basic workers’ compensation and hold employers responsible via a third-party claim.
Our attorneys begin by focusing on the cause and circumstances of your injury. We then use this information to construct a viable case. Whatever the situation, we always look to help you secure the maximum possible compensation for your injuries.
Washington Construction Accident Statistics
Construction is one of the most dangerous sectors for workers in Washington State. According to the Department of Labor & Industries Work-Related Fatalities Report 2019, sixty-three workers died in 2019 from traumatic injuries. The sectors with the highest number of deaths were construction, transportation and warehousing and agriculture, forestry, fishing, and hunting. Between 2010 and 2019, more than 102 workers died in the construction sector in WA, with 49 dying in fall accidents.
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were more than 78,200 nonfatal workplace illnesses and injuries in WA in 2020. This translates to an incidence rate of 3.5 per 100 full-time working individuals — an extremely high figure. In construction alone, there were 9,100 recorded injuries, despite the sector only comprising a small fraction of the state’s workforce.
The greatest number of injuries in Everett, WA was due to:
- Slips, trips, and falls
- Hazardous contact with equipment and machinery
At Wells Trumbull, we know cases like these. While Washington has laws in place to protect workers, we know from experience that many employers cut corners, leading to accidents. Our job is to protect you from those hazards and put a stop to profits taking precedence over people.
We don’t believe that you should become another statistic. Your life is important. That’s why we work tirelessly on your behalf to get the compensation you deserve. You might not be able to restore your health, but you can get justice for negligence by parties who had a duty of care to you.
Common Causes of Construction Injuries
Construction sites are full of hazards that can cause serious injuries to even the safest workers. Common causes of construction site injuries in Washington are as follows:
- Electrocutions
- Falling Objects
- Equipment Accidents
- Falls
- Fires
Federal and state statutes set stringent standards and regulations governing workplace safety. Any violation of these laws can establish negligence in construction injury cases.
Everett Construction Site Accidents Can Result in Severe Injuries
Construction site injuries are no joke. Many result in more than just grazes and bruises. For some workers, construction accidents can change their lives forever.
Construction sites are dangerous environments, so when site managers fail to protect workers, it can lead to particularly severe injuries.
These include:
- Second and third-degree burns, particularly to the face, arms, and legs
- Broken bones and ruptured internal organs
- Varying forms of paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Crush injuries requiring amputation
- Wrongful death
- Concussion and other head injuries
- Traumatic Brain Injury
Many of these injuries can adversely affect your capacity to earn income in the future. While compensation cannot by itself restore you to health, it can support you as you adjust to a new life, and replace lost income.
Even if you’re able to return to work after an injury, you may still be in pain. Consequently, getting through your shifts might be much more difficult than it was before your accident.
At Wells Trumbull, we understand this. Our Everett construction accident attorneys make sure that you receive adequate compensation for your workplace injury. We know your legal rights and can tell you quickly whether you have a case. If you do, we can take care of court appearances and negotiate with the opposing party’s insurance company on your behalf.
How Are Everett, WA, Employers at Fault in Construction Accidents?
Wells Trumbull construction accident attorneys in Everett, WA can help with practically any construction-related accident.
These include:
- Forklift or rolling stock accidents
- Injuries that result from explosions, fires or fast-moving material
- Toxic and hazardous substances injuries, such as contact with dangerous chemicals
- Equipment-related accidents that result in cuts, crushed limbs, and head injuries
- Accidents involving falling objects
- Accidents that result from dangerous or faulty tools and equipment
- Welding accidents
- Electrocution
- Accidents involving nail guns and other pneumatic equipment
- Falls from ladders and roofing
- Accidents that result from faulty scaffolding
Just because accidents are “part of the territory” when working with a construction firm doesn’t deny you your right to compensation. The law protects you against all of these events when it can be shown that your employer or a third party was negligent.
Were You Offered a Settlement for Your Construction Accident?
The key to getting compensation is to prove that your employer (or an eligible third party) was at fault and that they were a contributing cause to your injuries.
Employers and other third parties can be at fault in numerous ways, depending on the circumstances of the injury.
They can neglect their duty of care by:
- Failing to adequately maintain equipment according to industry standards or manufacturer specification
- Failing to provide you with adequate personal protective equipment for the tasks they ask you to perform
- Failing to properly supervise the work site
- Neglecting to communicate effectively about construction site hazards
- Lack of effective training for the use of certain equipment (such as forklifts or cranes)
- Continuing to use defective equipment
- Failing to put adequate fall prevention measures in place
- Allowing hazardous materials to come into contact with workers
Washington has laws that allow construction site workers to hold third parties accountable for any abrogation of their duty of care. We help you prove to the court that the construction site operator neglected to control safety, leading to your injury.
To prove this, we work closely with you. We begin by collecting information about what happened in your case and then use Washington laws to get you the compensation you’re owed.
Third-Party Injury Claims
If your construction injury was caused by the negligence of someone other than your employer or a co-worker, such as a subcontractor or supplier, or if you were injured by a faulty piece of machinery from an external vendor (for example), then in addition to your workers’ compensation claim, you may be entitled to file a third-party claim to recover damages above and beyond those available through a workers’ compensation claim.
However, to succeed in a third-party claim, you will need to prove negligence on the part of the defendant. This means establishing the following four elements:
- The defendant owed you a duty of care
- They breached this duty of care
- Your injuries were a direct result of this breach
- You suffered actual damages (physical, financial, or emotional)
Washington Workers’ Compensation Law
In Washington, the Department of Labor & Industries manages workers’ compensation. In essence, if you are injured working on a construction site, you are typically entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, which can cover your medical bills, part of your lost wages, and more. These benefits are provided to injured workers regardless of fault.
But here is the catch: because you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits regardless of fault, you are typically not entitled to sue your employer to recover compensation for damages related to your workplace injury. This essentially means that you will not be compensated for any noneconomic damages, such as pain and suffering, loss of quality of life, etc.
Can You Still Get Compensation if You Were Partly at Fault?
Comparative fault may adversely affect your ability to win compensation from your employer (or other liable third party) via a personal injury lawsuit. However, in most cases you are still entitled to standard workers’ compensation, as this is a no-fault system.
However, two circumstances may jeopardize your case.
You may harm your ability to get compensation if:
- You were drunk or under the influence of drugs when the accident occurs
- You deliberately caused the accident
In some cases, multiple parties may be responsible for your accident. Even if you made a professional mistake, your employer, contractor, or property owner may still be liable. Our Everett construction accident lawyers investigate your case and then tells you whether any other party is to blame.
Why Choose an Everett Construction Accident Attorney from Wells Trumbull for Accident Compensation?
While neither a workers’ compensation nor third-party claim requires you to be represented by an attorney, having an experienced construction injury attorney in Everett by your side can be a huge advantage. Here is how:
- Experience in Navigating the Complex Legal Landscape: The laws and regulations surrounding construction injuries are not just black and white. An experienced attorney knows the nuances, and the gray areas, and can help you understand if you have a potential third-party claim.
- Maximizing Your Compensation: An attorney well-versed in Washington’s workers’ compensation and personal injury laws, can often secure a much higher settlement for you, and help you receive all the benefits and/or compensation you are entitled to receive for your pain, lost wages, and any future medical expenses. Your attorney can also help you maximize your financial recovery by ensuring that all avenues of compensation are explored.
- Peace of Mind: After suffering an injury, the last thing you want is to be dealing with tons of paperwork and legal jargon. An attorney can handle the heavy lifting for you, allowing you to focus on what is essential: your recovery.
At Wells Trumbull, we get results. Our clients regularly receive compensation packages in the millions of dollars.
Ben Wells has been a personal injury attorney since 1989. In that time, he’s fought practically every type of construction accident case you can imagine — and won. Joshua Trumbull has experience across many fields and likes to come at problems in an original way, maximizing your chances of success. Together, we’re your dream team.
Get in touch with us today for your free case evaluation. Find out whether you’re likely to win your construction accident case — and potentially how much compensation you could get.