Although construction is often considered one of the most dangerous professions, it does not mean that construction workers do not deserve a safe working environment. That is why, if you have been injured in a construction accident, you may be able to pursue legal action to recover compensation for the harm and losses you sustained.
However, before pursuing this financial recovery, you first need to take specific steps after this devastating accident to ensure your legal rights remain protected.
1. Get Medical Attention ASAP
If the injuries are severe, you need to contact 911 right away. This is the fastest way to alert the police and emergency medical personnel of the accident and your injuries. In addition, it is the quickest way to get your accident on record.
However, even if you do not think your injuries require medical treatment, you still need to get to a doctor. In some instances, serious injuries such as brain trauma or a spinal cord injury can take time to manifest. Yet, the longer you wait to get these conditions checked out, the more debilitating and deadly they can become.
Besides, getting to a doctor after your accident can also help your legal claim since these doctors can provide you with critical evidence that can help support your workers’ compensation claim or personal injury lawsuit.
2. Report Your Construction Accident
Once you get your injuries treated, you have to report the accident to your employer as soon as possible. Today, many states have statutes that indicate that employees injured in an accident must report the accident within a certain period of time. The statute of limitations in Colorado is between one and three years for many types of civil claims and varies depending on the type of case. The Colorado statute of limitations for personal injury and negligence cases is two years.
However, even without these statutes, reporting your accident is crucial. This is for many reasons, such as:
- Speeding up the processing of a workers’ compensation claim.
- Making your claim appear more valid, especially in the eyes of the insurance company, the employer, and even the court.
- Preventing these accidents from occurring in the future since the employer can take necessary steps to fix dangerous issues after you notify them of the problem.
It is also in your best interest to make sure this report is in writing. Be sure to ask for a copy that you can keep for yourself. In addition, make sure you are as specific as possible when writing down what happened. This report can be vital if issues arise regarding who is at fault.
3. Gather Evidence
If it is safe and you are capable of doing so, try to take as many videos and pictures of the accident scene as possible, including:
- Your visible injuries
- The dangerous or unsafe conditions that caused your injury
- Damage to your equipment
If there were witnesses present, who saw the accident, get their name and contact information and start keeping track of all the medical expenses you incurred because of this accident.
4. Reach out to an Experienced Construction Accident Attorney
After a construction accident, you are already dealing with enough. The last thing you want to worry about is trying to figure out who was at fault for your accident and what legal options you have. Fortunately, with a construction accident attorney on your side, you will not have to deal with this complicated ordeal on your own.
Instead, once you retain one of these lawyers, they can:
- Go over your accident with you in detail, figure out if you have a viable claim, and determine the legal options you have.
- Thoroughly investigate the incident and obtain the evidence needed to show fault and damages.
- Ensure that legal motions are filed before time runs.
- Help you go after the maximum benefits or financial damages you deserve.
Following a construction accident, do not wait to secure the legal help you need. Instead, contact Cave Law today for a free case evaluation, and let us show you how we can help.
