New York City is a populous city in the United States, with an estimated population of 8,804,190. As per OSHA, slip and falls and trip and falls are the most common causes of injuries and accidents at construction sites. In addition, poor lighting, broken and uneven stairs, holes in the floors, debris, and defects are factors that cause accidents.
If you or anyone you know has met with an accident at a construction site, there are chances you are severely injured, and you will have to encounter lots of financial and medical issues. The contractor or construction company is legally obliged to report the construction site accident to the Health and Safety Executive. As per NYC labor laws, the employer is liable for all injuries arising out and in the course of employment.
Hiring an NYC Construction Accident Lawyer to increase your chances of maximizing your compensation will help you deal with medical expenses and financial difficulties.
When to Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer?
Recent NYC Department of Building data showed that the city witnessed 584 construction-related accidents in 2019 and 502 construction-related injuries in 2020. If you are a victim of such an accident, you should hire a construction lawyer immediately after the accident to avoid costly mistakes.
You should inform the contractor or construction company about the accident as soon as possible. Then, you can demand compensation from the employer depending on the severity of the injuries. If the employer refuses to compensate or gives more petite than the requested compensation amount, you must hire an NYC Construction Accident Lawyer.
As per NYC laws, you have 90 days to file a formal claim and one year to file a worker’s compensation claim lawsuit against your employer in NYC. In civil cases like personal injury, the period is counted from the date of the accident. You need to understand there is a statute of limitations on how long you should wait after an event to start a case.
You should immediately contact the attorney and seek legal guidance to bear medical treatment expenses and cover your lost wages. If the insurance agent of your employer comes to you with a settlement offer, you should consult your attorney and not sign documents without his advice.
The settlement or compensation offered by the employer’s insurance company might not be in your best interests, and the amount shown as compensation would not be adequate for the medical bills and cover lost wages.
Now that you know when to hire a construction accident lawyer let’s look at how an attorney can help in a construction accident.
File a Claim for Worker’s Compensation Benefits
You need to understand that the employer’s insurance company is not on your side, and they will try every trick to convince you to accept lower compensation. Their main objective is to save money by offering more inadequate compensation in any accident case.
Also, the worker’s compensation claim process is complicated, and many times workers find their benefits have been denied or unfairly reduced when they handle the process by themselves.
Having a construction accident lawyer by your side can ensure you file for the proper compensation amount. They will also provide no loopholes in the documentation process that allows insurance companies to reduce the compensation amount.
File a Civil Lawsuit Against the Employer
If the negotiation with the employer insurance company fails, you will be required to file a civil lawsuit against your employer to get adequate compensation. The attorney will manage the entire process while you recover from injuries.
To sum up, hiring an attorney will reduce stress, and you can focus on getting the proper medical treatment while the lawyer works to get you adequate workers’ compensation.
