Construction Site Car Accidents

While nobody expects to be in a car accident before it happens, motor vehicle crashes that happen at construction sites can be even more unexpected. Construction workers take numerous precautions to prevent other types of injuries on job sites by wearing fall-protection gear and taking safety training. However, traffic collisions do happen at construction sites, especially when the construction site is located on or adjacent to a road or highway.

If you or someone you love recently suffered injuries in a crash that occurred on a worksite, you should speak with a construction site car accident lawyer to learn about your options for filing a claim and seeking compensation.

Crashes at construction sites can happen in a variety of ways. Most often, however, construction sites car accidents will occur as a result of one of the following types of general situations:

• Worksite vehicle being used on the construction site, including forklifts and Pettibone lifts, is involved in an accident on the construction site, striking a construction worker or an object or structure on the jobsite; or
• Third-party motorist unrelated to the construction work is driving on the road or highway where the construction is happening and crashes into the construction site.

Why is it important to distinguish between these scenarios? The difference likely will affect how you can seek financial compensation for your injuries.

In the first type of scenario described above, a construction worker is injured as a result of another worker’s negligence or an employer’s failure to install particular safety precautions on the jobsite. When another worker or the employer is responsible for your injuries, you will typically seek compensation by filing a claim for workers’ compensation benefits.

To be clear, injuries on a construction site caused by another construction worker, the foreman, a general contractor, or anyone else affiliated with the work being done on the construction site will limit the injured party’s ability to file a lawsuit. In most cases, an injured construction worker cannot file a lawsuit if another person connected to the job caused the injuries. This is precisely the kind of scenario that workers’ compensation insurance is designed to cover.

There are a few exceptions, however. Generally speaking, whenever a third party is responsible, the injured construction worker may be able to file a lawsuit against that third party. For example, in cases in which an accident of this type where the accident happened because of a defect in the truck being used on the worksite, the injured party may be able to file a lawsuit against the designer, manufacturer, or marketer of the truck or a defective component.

In the second type of scenario described above where a third-party motorist crashes into a construction site, the injured party may be able to file a lawsuit against that driver. It is important to keep in mind that California law requires most car accidents lawsuits to be filed within two years from the date of the accident. Speaking with a lawyer with experience in construction site accidents is important to determine if you have a case.

Were you injured in a car accident on a construction site? A car accident attorney can discuss your options for seeking compensation. Contact the Walton Law Firm today to learn more about how we can assist you.