If you are employed in the construction industry, you have a one in 10 chance of being injured while on the job, according to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. In fact, the construction industry has the second highest number of work-related injuries each year, behind only the transportation industry, per Bureau of Labor statistics.

Following proper safety procedures, using personal protection equipment and always being aware of your surroundings are steps you can take to try and prevent suffering one of the 150,000 construction industry injuries each year. But what if you find yourself the victim of a construction accident anyway? Of course, the first thing you must do is to seek medical treatment. After that, there are some steps you should also take in order to protect your rights and your eligibility to compensation or benefits for your injury.

1. Report the injury and accident.  Even if the accident seemed minor and your injuries appear to be less than serious, report the accident to your supervisor. This needs to be done for a number of reasons. First, even seemingly minor injuries can turn into serious ones. You could also have hidden injuries or internal damage that is not obvious at first. In addition, in order to qualify for workers’ compensation benefits or third party compensation, you should document the accident as soon as possible so there is a legal nexus between your injuries and the accident.
2. Make note of the people present when the accident occurred. Take the time to jot down notes while the accident is still fresh in your memory. Along with who was present, include the names of companies working at the construction site, equipment that was involved in the accident and a brief summary of what exactly happened.
3. Follow up with medical care. If you ultimately file a third party lawsuit, you will need to prove the injuries you suffered were a result of the accident. A thorough medical examination right after the accident will help tie your injuries to the accident.
4. Consult with an experienced New York construction accident attorney.  You could be entitled to file a third party lawsuit in lieu of, or in addition to, any workers’ compensation benefits to which you may be entitled. Workers’ compensation wage replacement benefits often fall short of compensating a victim for the true cost of injuries sustained in a construction accident. For this reason, you should always explore other routes that could lead to compensation, such as a third party lawsuit.

Here at Ginarte Gonzalez Winograd L.L.P., we provide high-caliber representation to New York / New Jersey construction accident victims and their families. Contact our office at 1 (888) GINARTE for free consultation and we will make sure your rights are not lost. You can also use our online contact form.