If you were hurt while you were a bystander at or near a construction site, you might be able to sue for compensation for your injuries. There are several ways that someone who does not work at a construction site can get hurt.

Ways That a Bystander Can Get Hurt at a Construction Accident

You do not have to work at a construction site to be injured. Here are a few examples of ways that a bystander can get hurt at these locations:

  • You could be walking on the sidewalk next to a construction project when something from the job site injured you.
  • Some of the ways that explosions can happen on construction sites are when the detonation for a demolition goes wrong, when flammable materials catch fire, when fuel for equipment combusts, or when the crew accidentally hits a gas line.
  • Falling objects. Construction projects often involve equipment and materials at raised elevations, such as an upper floor, roof, or scaffolding. When these objects fall, a bystander can get hurt. Bystanders can even suffer brain injuries from accidents on construction sites.
  • People can sustain injuries when an equipment operator, like a crane operator, loses control of a piece of machinery.
  • Delivering mail, food, or supplies to people who work on the site. A person who does not work at the project—but is delivering something to the site—can get injured.

There are many additional ways that a person can an suffer injury at a construction site even though the person does not work at the project.

How to Establish Liability When a Bystander Gets Hurt in a Construction Accident

We must prove all four of these elements to hold someone responsible for your losses:

  • Duty of care. The person who hurt you must have had a legal duty of care, such as the obligation to operate a dump truck safely.
  • Breach of duty. When someone fails to meet the standard of a legal duty of care, it is negligence. The driver of a truck hauling debris from the job site has a responsibility to check for pedestrians when driving over a sidewalk to exit the job site.
  • The careless behavior must be the thing that causes the injury. Let’s say that a pedestrian sustained a severe injury because the dump truck driver did not look for people on foot when it drove at high speed over the sidewalk to haul away its load. The negligence caused the injury.
  • Measurable harm. The plaintiff must suffer quantifiable injury as a result of the carelessness.

Your personal injury lawyer must prove that the scenario in which you were injured satisfies all four elements of negligence.

Who You Can Sue for Bystander Injuries in a Construction Accident

Usually, you can sue the negligent person for your losses. Sometimes, you can sue the person’s employer as well. The parties you can sue will depend on the facts of your situation. If you a lost a loved one to a construction accident, Montero Law Center will work to determine if you can pursue justice though a wrongful death lawsuit.

Getting Help With a Lawsuit for Construction Accident Injuries to a Bystander

At the Montero Law Center, it is our calling to help people who get hurt because of the careless acts of others—whether you are a bystander or were injured on the job. Call us today at 954-767-6500 to get started before the statute of limitations passes. The consultation is free.