Los Angeles Construction Accident Lawyer

Construction workers are vulnerable to numerous hazards on a daily basis. If you have been injured in a construction accident, it is important to understand your legal rights. You have many choices in law firms to represent you for accident or workers comp claims – but not all lawyers can get the same results.

Construction accident lawyers at Kenton Koszdin maximize compensation for injured construction workers. We understand that construction accidents are devastating and difficult, not just for those injured, but for loved ones and family members. We have witnessed firsthand the life-changing impact of construction site injuries, from traumatic brain injuries to devastating spinal cord injuries.

We can help you determine if you are entitled to workers’ comp benefits, or if you are entitled to seek compensation from a third party in a personal injury lawsuit. Our construction accident lawyers handle construction accident claims for injured workers in Los Angeles and throughout Southern California, including Palmdale, Van Nuys, and Bakersfield.

Construction accidents continue to be a leading cause of worker injuries and fatalities. From 2013-2019, there were 464 fatalities in the construction industry, according to a report from the State of California Department of Industrial Relations. The highest number of work-injury fatalities was among workers 45–54 years of age.

Common Causes of Construction Site Injuries

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has recognized the top four causes of construction fatalities (often referred to as simply the “Fatal Four”). These four recognized causes of deadly injuries account for about 64 percent of fatal accidents:

Falling (from one level to another, such as in a scaffolding accident)
Being struck by a falling object or falling objects
Being electrocuted
Caught in/between equipment or objects

In addition to these types of accidents, construction workers face risks when proper safety equipment is not used or strict safety regulations are not followed. Repetitive motions and overexertion can also lead to serious, often debilitating injuries.

Injured in a Construction Accident?

Kenton Koszdin Law Office offers a free consultation to speak with a Los Angeles construction accident lawyer or workers’ compensation lawyer. Before you accept a settlement offer from your employer or insurance company, call us to discuss your options.

Common Injuries at Construction Sites

Over the years, our legal team has worked with people who have suffered a variety of catastrophic injuries on the job. The following injuries as the most common at construction sites, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC):

Burns

Construction workers are at risk of electrical burns and injuries from fires and explosions. Flammable and toxic substances are among myriad other burn risks. Third-degree burns can cause permanent injuries to skin, fat, muscle, and bone, and in some cases are fatal. For those that survive, the healing process is long, painful, and expensive.

Head and Brain Injuries

Traumatic brain injuries can be devastating, and visible damage can pale in comparison with psychological and physiological damage, from mild cognitive effects to complete brain death. Symptoms of a concussion can end in days or weeks, but a traumatic head and brain injury can yield a lifetime of recuperation and rehabilitation efforts to achieve even a partial recovery.

Spinal Cord Injuries

Injury to the spine is often acute and sudden but can stem from overuse resulting from repetitive lifting or awkward movements. Often a result of falls, spinal injuries can cause partial to total paralysis that typically is irreversible. Severity dictates complexity and length of treatment, which often includes surgeries and extensive rehabilitation efforts ─ physical, occupational, and vocational.

Cuts, Lacerations, and Punctures

Scrapes, bruises, and cuts may be serious when extensive or combined with other workplace injuries. Proper wound care may be necessary to prevent infection.

Fractures

Equipment accidents and construction site falls often lead to broken bones. Fractures can range from simple breaks suffered in a slip-or-trip accident or motor vehicle accidents to multiple breaks in a long fall or even crushed bones.

Traumatic Amputation

Crushing injuries suffered in construction accidents can cost victims their lives and/or limbs. Lost toes, fingers, arms, or legs are an unfortunate reality in an environment of heavy moving machinery, power tools, and materials and collapses of trenches, structures, and equipment such as scaffolding.

Hearing loss

Persistent loud noises such as the slamming of jackhammers easily can damage hearing if no protective gear is used. Restoration may be possible with technologically advanced hearing devices, and specialists can help a person adapt to hearing loss.

Stress Injuries

Moving, lifting, or bending repeatedly can cause stress injuries. Overexertion at construction sites is a common cause of sprains and strains caused by sudden, repeated, or awkward lifting. If not properly treated, stress injuries can cause permanent damage to nerves, muscles, or tendons.

Heatstroke

Exertion and exposure to the elements can cause heatstroke, which may be indicated by symptoms of nausea, dizziness, and fainting. In serious cases, convulsions and coma may occur.

Eye Damage

Exposure to chemicals, gasses, electricity, and extreme heat, as well as head injuries affecting the eyes, can damage the eyes and cause permanent and complete blindness.

Treatment for construction accident injuries can range from simple wound treatment to complex surgeries and extensive physical rehabilitation. Rehabilitation to some semblance of normal life – and maximum medical improvement – is the goal of treatment, but the process can be extremely difficult, painful, and, too often, may produce limited or no results. Ultimately, the physical and financial toll of construction accidents can be catastrophic.

Your immediate priority following a construction site accident should be getting medical care. Never delay getting medical treatment, as your medical care record will be part of your injury claim. Next, take steps to preserve your financial well-being:

Report your accident to your supervisor immediately
Take photos and videos of the accident scene
Request surveillance footage of the accident be preserved, if possible.
Record names and contact information of potential witnesses
Save all paperwork resulting from the accident, from receipts for related expenses to medical bills and a tally of lost earnings.

The California Department of Industrial Relations offers information and advice for occupational injury victims, including:

Your employer must provide you a workers’ comp benefits application form within a day of you reporting your injury.
If your employer does not give you a claim form, get one from a workers’ comp information and assistance officer. Read everything that comes with the claim form.
Fill out and sign the employee portion of the form. Describe injuries thoroughly. Include every part of your body affected by the accident. Return the form to your employer.
If you mail the form to your employer, use certified mail with delivery confirmation (tracking number) and return receipt.

Los Angeles Construction Accident Attorney

What Separates Kenton Koszdin’s Law Office from other Construction Injury Law Firms in Los Angeles?

Construction Site Injury Statistics in California