If you are a construction worker who gets hurt on the job and are wondering how to report a construction site accident in Fort Lauderdale, you will have to report the accident to your employer right away. You have 30 days, at most, to fill out the printed form and submit it to your boss.

Usually, people who qualify for workers’ compensation benefits cannot file a lawsuit against their employers for personal injury. There are, however, several situations in which a person could file a lawsuit against someone for getting injured in a construction site accident in Fort Lauderdale.

In those situations, there is not a requirement that the injured person report the accident. However, you do have a limited amount of time to bring legal action against the person whose negligence caused your injuries. If you miss the deadline, you will lose the right to go after compensation for your losses.

Types of Construction Site Accidents

According to the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, the highest number of workplace fatalities in Florida in 2017 was in the construction industry. Some of the scenarios in which a person can file a lawsuit for personal injury include:

  • The worker falls because of the carelessness of someone else. Let’s say that a company rents faulty scaffolding to a general contractor that causes severe injuries to a worker. That worker can sue the scaffolding company for his injuries.
  • Hazardous substances. If a third-party company negligently exposes workers to toxic substances at the construction site, injured workers can go after that entity for the harm the chemicals caused.
  • Defective tools. Workers use many tools to perform their tasks at a construction site. When a construction tool has a flaw, the consequences can be significant. A worker can get electrocuted by wiring problems. Power saws and drills can cause severe lacerations and other harm when they fail or their safety features do not work correctly.
  • Heavy equipment. When a backhoe, crane, dump truck, bulldozer, or excavator has a defective steering mechanism or its brakes fail, workers can suffer catastrophic injury or death. The equipment can crush workers, run over them, fall on them, or pin them against other objects.

The Dangers of Defective Equipment

Sometimes an item on a construction site will hurt people because the object had a defective design. In other situations, the design was up to standard, but the manufacturer did not assemble the product correctly. In these scenarios, the injured worker might be able to file a lawsuit against the designer or manufacturer or the flawed object.

Equipment can develop flaws from wear and tear without adequate maintenance and repairs. If the failure to maintain equipment in a serviceable and safe condition caused someone to suffer harm, the entity responsible for maintaining the item could get sued for damages. A company that leases defective equipment or supplies for use at a construction site can have liability for harm that results.

Lawsuits for construction site accidents are complicated because there are so many companies involved in these workplaces. If you have questions about how to report a construction site accident in Fort Lauderdale, a personal injury lawyer can help you sort through the possible defendants and help you go after money damages from the liable party.

The team at the Montero Law Center can help you navigate through this process. Call us today at (954) 767-6500 for a free consultation.