Springfield and other towns and cities across Illinois are under almost constant construction. While construction sites are common to see, they can be very dangerous, especially for those working there. If you were injured while working on a construction site or just passing by one, talk to a lawyer for help.
Construction accidents often result from unsafe work conditions, and employers may be held responsible. The general contractor or subcontractor who hired you might be held liable, and the developer might bear responsibility, too. Whatever happened to you, you have about 2 years to file a civil case, and your time might be running out. Contact our legal team for help evaluating your damages and collecting evidence to start building your case as soon as possible.
Call our construction accident attorneys for a free initial case assessment at the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
Who May Be Held Responsible for Construction Accidents
Construction sites may be large-scale projects with numerous workers, managers, and developers around at all times. As such, determining who should be held responsible can be tricky. Below are a few common examples of people who may be held liable for your damages.
General Contractors and Subcontractors
In many cases, employers are responsible for ensuring the work environment is safe for their employees. As such, contractors who hire other workers may be held liable if workers are injured in construction-related accidents.
The general contractor hires many people for many jobs across a construction site. A general contractor hires a subcontractor to perform a specific job, and they may hire others to assist them. Depending on who hired you and how the accident happened, a general contractor or subcontractor may be held liable.
Property Owners
Property owners are usually not implicated in construction accident cases because they often have nothing to do with any actual construction work. However, in some cases, property owners take a more hands-on approach, and they might be held responsible for accidents.
If an accident is directly related to unsafe property conditions that the owners knew about and negligently failed to warn contractors or other workers about, they might be held responsible.
Third Parties
Certain people or entities may be responsible for your accident, even if they were nowhere near the construction site.
Many accidents stem from defective, damaged, or faulty tools or equipment. Dangerous tools like circular saws, nail guns, forklifts, and electrical equipment can be extremely hazardous if not used safely. Manufacturers of faulty equipment or tools may be held responsible for injuries.
In other cases, trespassers may enter the construction site and damage equipment or tools. If our construction accident lawyers can identify these trespassers, we can sue them for causing your accident and injuries.
When You Must File a Civil Case for a Construction Accident in Springfield
If you want to file a civil lawsuit for injuries sustained in a construction accident, you must do so within the limitation period set by law. The statute of limitations, under 735 I.L.C.S. § 5/13-202, gives plaintiffs 2 years to file claims for personal injuries.
While 2 years might seem like more than enough time, do not be fooled. Many people spend months and months preparing a case before filing it. The longer you wait to speak to an attorney, the more time you lose to get your case ready for court.
Sometimes, plaintiffs cannot file their cases in time due to circumstances beyond their control. In such cases, tolling options may be available to extend your time to file.
One option is to have the statute of limitations tolled due to the defendant’s absence from the state. According to § 5/13-208(a), if a defendant leaves Illinois and cannot be reached by long-arm statutes, the limitation period may be tolled for however long they are outside the state’s jurisdiction. This way, defendants cannot outrun their liability.
Damages Available in a Springfield Construction Accident Case
One very important detail of your case is your damages. These reflect your losses, injuries, and painful experiences from the accident, and they must be carefully calculated so that no compensation is left unclaimed.
First, we may consider the extent of your economic damages, which may include almost anything from the accident that cost you money. Some big sources of economic damages include hospital bills and the value of lost income.
Many construction workers cannot return to their jobs due to their injuries, and they may lose valuable income over a long period. Add this to the high cost of medical care, and you might be in a very dire financial situation.
Your non-economic damages may include painful experiences from the accident. Usually, these damages are subjective and open to interpretation, so we need strong evidence showing how badly you were hurt to get the compensation you deserve.
You may claim physical pain, mental distress, and psychological trauma. Construction workers often report feeling deeply humiliated in front of their peers after an accident, and you might experience some damage to your professional reputation. All these and more may be claimed as part of your non-economic damages.
Records You Should Obtain or Keep for a Construction Accident Case
Proving your claims after a construction accident requires strong evidence, much of which may come from certain records related to the case.
Construction sites are heavily regulated, and there should be records of safety inspections and compliance with codes. We can review these records to determine if the construction site was in violation of any safety regulations that might have led to the accident.
We should also try to collect any records related to faulty equipment. Receipts from when the defective items were purchased, along with information about the manufacturers, may be crucial to your case.
Injuries in construction accident cases tend to be serious, and we may need your medical records to help us explain just how badly you were hurt. When injuries are complex or severe, these records can prove how much pain you are in and how your injuries may affect your life from now on.
Call Our Springfield Construction Accident Lawyers to Get Legal Help Now
Call our construction accident attorneys for a free initial case assessment at the Rhatigan Law Offices at (312) 578-8502.
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