Were You Injured In A Construction Accident?

Attorney Mark Morse knows injury law – and he knows your field

Construction work is dangerous by nature, and construction site injuries can be severe. Every day, construction workers put their lives and health on the line, taking on the risk of being involved in a wide range of accidents. That’s why there are such stringent safety measures in place to protect construction workers from on-the-job injuries.

The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) set out strict federal regulations regarding safety standards. Property owners, contractors, subcontractors and others are required to comply with OSHA standards. Equipment and safety procedures that are not up to standards can pose serious harm to construction workers.

But even with those safety measures in place, accidents happen. Workers fall from heights. Defective tools malfunction. Sometimes, people are caught in explosions or involved in vehicle accidents. The injuries sustained are often severe and sometimes fatal.

• Construction Vehicle Accident
• Electrocution
• Fall From Height
• Machinery Accident
• Nail Gun Accident
• Overexertion/Heatstroke

If you’ve been injured on a construction site, some of your costs may be covered under workers’ compensation.* However, you may have access to additional compensation if your accident involved someone other than your employer. Construction accident lawyer Mark B. Morse has decades of experience helping injured construction workers with these “third-party” insurance claims in accidents such as:

• Falling debris
• Equipment failure
• Slippery surfaces
• Falls from ladders
• Crane accidents
• Heavy equipment accidents
• Lack of safety nets
• Uncovered holes
• Exposure to asbestos and cancer-causing materials
• Heavy equipment accidents

*The Law Office of Mark B. Morse, LLC does not handle workers’ compensation claims; we represent injured construction workers with third-party liability claims. If you need help collecting workers’ compensation after a construction accident, we can refer you to a workers’ compensation attorney.

What Is Third-party Liability?

Injuries that happen on the job are normally in a separate category outside personal injury law. That’s because these injuries are covered under workers’ compensation. Injured workers get compensation for their lost wages, medical bills and a few other expenses on a “no-fault” basis – meaning the worker can collect benefits even if the injury was his or her fault. The tradeoff is that you can’t sue your employer for additional damages, such as pain and suffering.

However, that prohibition only applies to taking legal action against your employer. If someone other than your employer was involved in your accident, you have the right to file a personal injury claim against that person or company, just as you would in any other situation.

Third-party claims happen often on construction sites because there are so many parties involved. Some situations that may give rise to a third-party claim include:

A construction worker is injured by a faulty piece of equipment, leading to a potential claim against the manufacturer.
At a road work site, a worker is hit by a car, leading to a personal injury claim against the driver of the car.
An independent contractor fails to appropriately follow safety protocols at the construction site, causing a worker to be injured in an accident.
A building inspector falls and is injured due to shoddy workmanship while visiting a construction site.

Cases involving third-party liability can be complex. There may be multiple parties and insurance companies involved, and they’ll all be focused on one thing: reducing their own liability. They may try to play the “blame game” and point the finger at each other – or at you.

Talk To A Lawyer Who Knows Construction. Talk To Mark Morse.

With over 35 years’ experience handling both personal injury and construction law cases, Attorney Mark Morse is uniquely suited to help injured construction workers in the greater Providence area. He has long been recognized as a leader in the legal field in Rhode Island, and despite his many successes, he remains highly accessible to clients. When you contact the Law Office of Mark B. Morse, LLC, you’ll schedule a consultation with Attorney Morse himself, not a paralegal, assistant or junior associate. And from start to finish, Mark will personally handle your case, dealing with the insurance company and thoroughly investigating every aspect of your case.

The sooner you take action after your construction accident, the better. Over time, evidence disappears. Witnesses’ memories fade. Especially in the constantly changing environment of a construction site, you need an attorney on your side right away. That’s why you should contact Mark Morse right away.

Construction Vehicle Accident

All sorts of heavy vehicles are used on construction sites, and like any other vehicle, they’re sometimes involved in accidents. Because of the conditions on most construction sites, maneuvering these vehicles can be difficult, and when they crash, construction workers can be seriously hurt.

The Law Office of Mark B. Morse, LLC represents construction workers involved in accidents with construction vehicles as well as crashes involving passenger cars and other vehicles in road work zones. Depending on the circumstances, you may have a claim against an equipment operator or a manufacturer. We’ll thoroughly review your legal options and create a strategy to get you full compensation.

Electrocution

Electrocution is a serious hazard on many construction sites and can cause severe, potentially fatal injuries. That’s why strict safety protocols are in place on any site that uses high voltage. Unfortunately, those protocols are not always followed. Sometimes, contractors cut corners in order to get the job done faster. In other cases, defective safety equipment or improper supervision is to blame.

If you’ve been involved in an electrocution accident, you may have a long road to recovery. Attorney Mark B. Morse will be there for you every step of the way. The legal team at the Law Office of Mark B. Morse, LLC will carefully investigate your accident and hold the negligent parties accountable.

Fall From Height

Falls are some of the most dangerous accidents on any construction site, and they’re almost always preventable. Sometimes, a fall happens because proper safety equipment was not used-such as harnesses-or because the equipment that was supposed to keep a worker safe turned out to be faulty. In other cases, shoddy workmanship is to blame as scaffolding collapses, causing a fall.

If you or a loved one has been hurt in a fall at a construction site, meet with Mark Morse. Our legal team understands all of the complex rules and regulations surrounding construction accidents, and we’ll help you with your case. We’ll review the circumstances surrounding your fall and create a legal strategy to seek compensation for all of your losses, including medical bills, lost wages and more.

Machinery Accident

Accidents involving any type of defective machinery can cause devastating and even fatal injuries. Broken bones. Lacerations. Burns. You may be unable to work for weeks or months. Or you may have lost a loved one in a fatal machinery accident.

Holding manufacturers of machinery accountable for the injuries they cause is not easy, but with an accomplished attorney on your side, you can seek justice. Mark B. Morse has the experience and resources needed to stand up to equipment manufacturers and get injured workers the compensation they need.

Nail Gun Accident

Nail guns are popularly used on many construction sites because they automate tasks that would otherwise require a great deal of energy and manpower. However, any tool that propels a hard, metal object at high speed can cause significant injuries. Whether your injury involved a defective nail gun or an error made by an operator, you need to be compensated for your injuries.

Attorney Mark Morse can help you get there. We’ll review the circumstances surrounding your case and determine who can be held liable for your losses, possibly including the nail gun’s manufacturer or a contractor who was using one inappropriately. We have the experience and legal knowledge needed to build a winning case.

Overexertion/Heatstroke

Summer is construction season in New England, and that unfortunately means that many construction workers are at risk of suffering overexertion, heat exhaustion and heatstroke. These are serious medical conditions made worse when the worker is weighed down by heavy gear and working long hours in the sun.

Often, heatstroke and overexertion can happen when there is too much pressure on a worker to meet a deadline, or when the worker is inadequately supervised by someone who is responsible for maintaining a safe work area. Attorney Mark Morse will build a legal strategy to pay for your medical bills and other costs, such as lost wages and pain and suffering. Call today to schedule a confidential consultation.