During several decades as personal injury attorneys, the legal team at Nagel Rice LLP has accumulated extensive experience with construction accidents, including struck-by injuries. If you have suffered serious injury as a result of being struck by an object at your job site, you are not alone. Chillingly, OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) reports that over 11 percent of construction fatalities occur in this manner. A struck-by accident is designated by OSHA as one of “the fatal four.”
In addition, a significant number of severe struck-by injuries and fatalities impact vendors, clients, and other visitors to construction sites. In most cases, struck-by injuries are caused by negligence — e.g. someone drops a tool from a height or a poorly constructed wall collapses. If you have been harmed by such an accident in New Jersey, you should contact our capable attorneys as soon as possible.
We are not only highly experienced but have the legal skill set to give you the best chance of winning the damages you deserve. As a matter of fact, we have won over a billion dollars in compensation for our clients during our years in practice and are eager to help you in your search for a successful outcome.
How do struck-by-object accidents happen?
Construction sites are among the most dangerous places to work, full as they are of heavy materials, tools, and often huge, earth-moving equipment. They are places where heavy objects are often being used and may drop unexpectedly and where enormous vehicles may roll, creating a catastrophe. There are four basic ways an individual can be seriously injured by the impact of objects like tools, construction materials, or debris:
- Flying objects can be separated or expelled from tools, machines, or equipment, causing severe, even fatal, injuries (think nail gun accidents)
- Falling objects, their weight increased by the length of their downward journey, can fall from a high structure such as a roof or scaffolding, or a poorly balanced piece of large equipment may tip over and strike someone
- Swinging objects, like pulleys or ropes, may swing dangerously into an individual, or snap and fall on a person, sometimes while loaded with heavy materials
- Rolling objects of varying sizes and weights may roll down surfaces or along the slanted ground into unsuspecting victims; unmanned vehicles may also hit people unfortunate enough to be caught in their path
If you have been seriously injured in any type of struck-by accident in New Jersey, after accessing medical care, contacting Nagel Rice is the most important step you can take to give yourself the best chance of receiving the compensation you are entitled to.
Liability Issues for Your Employer
OSHA has strict standards for safety at construction sites. Construction companies have to meet legal requisites relative to:
- Maintenance of heavy equipment, machinery, and motor vehicles
- Training, vetting, and supervising their employees
- Providing their workers with goggles, hard hats, high-visibility clothing, and other necessary protective gear
If your employer has been negligent in providing you with appropriate protection as outlined above, Nagel Rice may well be able to file a civil lawsuit on your behalf, in spite of the fact that you are eligible for no-fault workers’ compensation.
One of the reasons it is crucial to have a capable struck-by-accident attorney in your corner is that although workers’ comp will provide you with benefits for medical costs and lost income, unless you file a lawsuit you will receive no compensation for your pain and suffering.
Third-Party Claims in a Struck-By Accident
In struck-by accidents, it is possible that another individual or entity, not your employer, is responsible for your misery. It may be, for example, that an architect, an engineering or design firm, is the responsible party, or that the manufacturer of a defective vehicle or piece of equipment is to blame. Whoever is liable, the competent struck-by accident attorneys at Nagel Rice will fight aggressively to hold that party accountable.
What Nagel Rice Will Do to Protect Your Interests
Our struck-by-accident attorneys have extensive experience in cases like yours. Though we always customize our legal services to meet your specific needs, you can count on us to:
- Handle all negotiations with opposing attorneys and insurance adjusters
- Investigate the site of your accident and any available surveillance videos
- Examine police records and medical reports
- Interview witnesses
- Establish who is liable for your injuries (maybe more than one party)
- Investigate any prior record of defendant misconduct
- Consult with experts in pertinent fields whose testimony may support our case
Above all, we will pay close attention to the details of your case and prepare a strategy that will give us the best chance of winning you the damages you need to secure your future.
We Will Calculate the Amount You Need to Take Care of Yourself and Your Family
The amount of resources you require to deal with the trauma will vary depending on your medical diagnosis, whether you will be able to return to work, and the extent of your incapacity. No matter what, our construction accident attorneys will stand by you and work tirelessly to try to provide you with damages that will cover:
- Medical and rehabilitation expenditures
- Lost income, present and future
- Loss of earning capacity
- Extended nursing care
- Alterations to your home to make it accessible
- Permanent scarring or other disfigurements
- Replacement services
- Pain and suffering
- Permanent disability
- Loss of enjoyment of life
When a Wrongful Death Results from a Struck-By Accident
If you have lost a loved one in a struck-by accident, our compassionate attorneys will fight to win you final medical costs, funeral expenses, and funds for loss of financial and emotional support. We know nothing can begin to replace a member of your family, but we will try our best to bring you closure and a sense of justice.
Contact Nagel Rice for Excellent, Empathic Legal Counsel
We will always treat you with the respect and concern you deserve. We know that you are going through one of the worst periods of your life and we will stand by you no matter what. Contact our New Jersey struck-by accident lawyer today for a free initial consultation.
Nagel Rice LLP helps their clients with their struck-by construction accident claims throughout New Jersey including Bergen County, Essex County, Middlesex County, Monmouth County, Morris County, Passaic County, and Sussex County.