When injuries occur on construction sites in California, it often compels the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to get involved. Investigations often uncover details that led to a particular incident, which suggest that one or more parties may have been negligent, resulting in injuries to one or more people. Throughout the country, such as recently occurred in a northeastern state, construction site accidents sometimes result in fatalities.
In this case, OSHA investigators are still trying to determine what caused an excavator to crash through a building at a recycling facility. The out-of-control machine struck a man, who was then transported by air to a nearby hospital. Sadly, however, he did not survive.
Construction site accidents often prompt civil litigation
While California and other states are governed by workers’ compensation laws in the workplace, a so-called “third party claim” may be appropriate in some circumstances. These claims may be filed when the negligence of someone other than the employer or a co-worker was responsible for a construction site accident that caused injury or death. When the latter has occurred, a surviving spouse or immediate family member of the decedent may file the claim, which the decedent would have been able to file had he or she survived.
A California personal injury attorney can provide guidance and support to anyone considering filing a third-party claim following a construction site accident. This support alleviates the stress that accompanies these types of claims. It also increases the possibility that a claimant will receive the maximum amount of compensation to which he or she may be entitled under state law.