If you have been seriously injured by a falling object at or near a construction site in New Jersey, the skilled, compassionate personal injury attorneys at Nagel Rice, LLP are well-prepared to help you receive the substantial compensation you deserve.
Our construction accident attorneys have more than 40 years of experience in this field and have the sharp legal skills and determination to fight vigorously to recover maximum damages for you and your family.
While falling object accidents can occur in any number of benign settings — schoolrooms, department stores, movie theaters or restaurants — they occur much more frequently at construction sites. Known to be risky locations, construction sites are typically replete with scaffolds, tools, building materials, heavy machinery, and extremely tall pieces of earth-moving equipment. Any and all of these objects can easily precipitate a falling object accident.
Contact our legal team now to find out whether you have a viable case. It will cost you nothing to have your case evaluated and once you become our client we will charge you no attorney’s fee until we recover damages.
Construction Accidents Are Most Often the Result of Negligence
Construction site accidents caused by falling objects are all too common. They are almost never the fault of the victim and almost always due to another party’s negligence as described below:
Negligent Implementation of Safety Procedures by the Construction Company
Tragically, at times, construction companies prioritize profit over safety, failing to:
- Make sure that workers use protective gear and equipment
(e.g. hard hats, safety nets, safety glasses) - Tether all tools that weigh over 5 pounds
- Provide construction workers with devices to prevent falls from roofs
- Provide guardrails where necessary
- Install safety nets or screens to prevent tools or debris from falling
- Use covered chutes to remove work materials from roofs
- Train workers to follow OSHA safety protocol and test them to see that they do
Negligent Failure to Warn Passersby
Construction companies have a legal responsibility to warn those who visit their premises, as well as those who merely pass by, of potential hazards. If you have been harmed on or near a construction site without such a warning, the company has been derelict in its duty.
Depending on the type of potential danger, construction sites must post warning signs, put up caution tape, and/or erect barricades. If they haven’t done so, the court may consider their behavior especially reckless, in which case you may be awarded punitive as well as compensatory damages.
The Possibility of Third-Party Negligence
There is also the possibility that a third party may be to blame for your falling object injury. If, for example, a co-worker deliberately dropped an object on you of a scaffold, tool, or vehicle, our attorneys may file a lawsuit against the co-worker, manufacturer, or supplier who is liable.
Who are potential victims of falling objects accidents?
Certainly, construction workers are at the top of the list, but many other individuals, including those working on the job site in supervisory positions or as independent contractors, such as engineers, architects, electricians, or roofers, are also at risk. Even innocent passersby, perhaps unaware that they are near a construction site, may suffer severe harm.
Almost anything at a construction site is liable to fall and hit someone:
- Flashlight
- Power drill
- Roofing tiles
- Bricks
- Lumber
- Scaffold beam
Also, because construction workers may be situated at various levels ( e.g. ground, underground, scaffold, roof), there is not only danger of being hit by an object; there is also danger of being hit by another individual who has been working above you and slipped.
Injuries Caused by Falling Objects at Construction Sites
Falling debris is one of the leading causes of construction injuries since even objects that aren’t particularly large or heavy can result in serious harm when they fall from great heights. Also, unfortunately, the chances are that if you are hit from above, your head bears the brunt of the impact.
A host of severe or catastrophic injuries can result from being hit by a falling object, including:
- Traumatic brain injury (TBI)
- Spinal cord injury (paralysis)
- Bone fractures
- Amputations
- Musculoskeletal injuries
- Neurological damage
- Lacerations and/or internal bleeding
- Disfigurement
- Death
Damages Our Construction Accident Attorneys Will Fight To Recover
When it comes to getting you meaningful compensation for the serious injury you sustained, our lawyers will pull out all the stops. You can rely on us to handle all legal and logistical matters so that you can relax and recover your peace of mind while we fight tirelessly to recover both economic and noneconomic compensatory damages.
Economic Damages
Economic damages are designed to pay for actual expenditures, including those for:
- Medical and rehabilitation care, now and in the future
- Lost income and/or lost earning power
- Alterations to make your home accessible
- Replacement services
- Psychological counseling
- Final medical costs, funeral/burial/cremation (for wrongful death)
Non-Economic Damages
Non-economic damages, on the other hand, are intended to intangible losses, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Permanent scarring or other disfigurement
- Loss of consortium
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Loss of financial and emotional support (for wrongful death)
Whether you are dealing with your own physical injury or the wrongful death of a loved one, Nagel Rice is here to provide you with empathic support as well as powerful legal representation.
Contact Our Experienced New Jersey Construction Accident Attorneys Today
Nagel Rice has a long history of positive outcomes, both in and out of court. As a matter of fact, our talented attorneys have won more than $1 billion in negotiated settlements and favorable verdicts over the last 40 years. We would like nothing better than to make you another one of our highly satisfied clients. The sooner you get in touch with us, the sooner you will be able to benefit from our legal prowess and staunch support. Contact us today.
Nagel Rice LLP helps its clients throughout New Jersey, including Roseland, Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County. We also represent clients in New York.