PHILADELPHIA CONSTRUCTION ACCIDENT LAWYERS

The lawyers at Stern & Cohen frequently handle workers’ compensation claims arising from construction accidents. It is very important that you have a lawyer that is well-versed in construction site injuries. Worksites can be dangerous and there are common ways that construction workers become injured during employment.

Common Construction Injuries

Lifting Injuries

Perhaps the most common construction site injury is a lifting injury. Other than small hand tools, nearly all the equipment on construction sites are heavy. Employees are asked to lift large wood, steel, concrete, glass, etc.. Even with help from others, the lifts can be very dangerous. We commonly see neck, back and shoulder injuries from these construction accidents. These incidents can cause medical bills and lost wages. If you are injured in this manner, you need an experienced construction accident lawyer to help you.

Site Injuries Caused By Hazardous Premises

A second common construction accident is site injuries caused by hazardous premises. Construction sites are usually littered with conditions that may cause serious injury. Examples include holes in the ground, tools, equipment and objects lying where they should not be, and uneven terrain. It is very easy to trip, twist or fall on job sites. This can result in a workers’ compensation claim. These incidents usually cause lower extremity injuries – knees, ankles and feet. However, depending on the nature of the fall and how you land or catch yourself, other injuries can occur.

We also handle complex workers’ compensation claims caused by equipment on premises such as scaffolding, trucks, and cranes. Defective scaffolding or careless equipment operators can cause serious injuries or even wrongful death. It requires a skilled litigator to navigate you through these cases. Commonly, injuries on a job site caused by the hazardous premises also have a third party case component. The experienced construction accident lawyers at Stern & Cohen are extraordinarily adept at recognizing these potential third party cases. In recognizing that a third party may be responsible for your work injury, you may have a separate cause of action for their negligence. Depending on the nature of your injury, these third party cases may result in substantial dollar-figure recoveries. Recognizing that another subcontractor, or the general contractor, may be responsible for your work injury often takes skill and experience. Over the course of many years, we have picked out these potential causes of action and involved a third party specialist and our clients have obtained millions of dollars in financial recoveries.

Long Term Workplace Illnesses

A third frequent construction accident that we see are longer term workplace illnesses. The most common example are injuries to the joints – knees and shoulders – and spine from repetitive, difficult work activity over the course of days, weeks, months, or even years. Working on construction sites over time can put tremendous wear-and-tear on your body. Even if you cannot pinpoint one single event that caused your physical injuries, if the type of work that you do on the job site over time is the cause, this is a workers’ compensation claim. These types of injuries are often contested by the insurance company. The lawyers at Stern & Cohen have tremendous experience making claims for lost wages and medical bills resulting from long term workplace illness from construction sites.

Recent Cases

The lawyers at Stern & Cohen recently resolved a construction accident workplace injury for a gentleman who was struck by a heavy beam in the leg on a job site. Sadly, this ended up in a below the knee amputation and understandable psychological injuries. We filed litigation to make sure all his medical bills were covered. This involved complex litigation. We also engaged in extensive discussions to resolve the case and help our client start a new life. The case was eventually settled for over $825,000. Furthermore, we recognized that there should be third party liability for the contractor operating the machine that held the beam that struck him. Stern & Cohen involved third party counsel and that case is still pending; however, it is expected that it will result in a substantial recovery for our client.

We also recently resolved a case for a site supervisor from a construction company, who had a fall from a ladder. He had serious foot and ankle injuries that have resulted in significant lost wages and medical bills. An agreement was reached to settle his case for over $500,000. Both of these case examples were resolved in 2020! The lawyers at Stern & Cohen have been achieving these results on construction accident claims for many years.

Filing Workers’ Compensation Claims

It is extremely important to have a lawyer with experience in handling construction accident workers’ compensation claims in Philadelphia. Insurance companies will often try to take advantage of construction workers by directing them to inadequate medical treatment and facilities in an effort to get a quick opinion that someone can return to work. Insurance companies may also try to prevent construction workers from getting all the injuries covered, e.g., paying medical bills for the knee, but not the low back. They may also fail to include your overtime pay in determining how much your workers’ compensation lost wages should be. It is also common for insurance companies to argue that the construction worker can return to “light duty,” when we know there is no such work on commercial construction sites. Do not be intimidated by large construction outfits and insurance carriers – at Stern & Cohen, we are the ultimate competitors and we will take on any defendant with no fear of litigation or expensive case costs. We will do what it takes to win.

If you or a loved one have fallen victim to a construction accident, call us at (215) 999-1443 or contact us by using the assistant or by filling out our contact form. The initial workers’ compensation consultation is free-of-charge.