Yes, you should always seek medical treatment no matter how minor you believe your injury to be. Do not ignore your injuries and hope it will get better or go away on its own. Ignoring your injury can lead to the injury getting worse and delay the recovery process. After an accident, it is always in your best interest to visit a hospital, urgent care center, or your primary care doctor to get a full assessment of your injuries and a treatment plan.

Even without evidence, you can still file certain claims, but any evidence you can gather is always helpful. If you can, the following pieces of evidence can help support your claims:

• Pictures and Videos of the construction site, the condition that caused your accident, the accident location after your accident, and your injuries. If you cannot gather photos or videos after an accident, reach out to a coworker and ask them to take a photo or video for you.
• Witnesses that saw how the accident occurred or the aftermath of the accident can help your claim. It is important to gather their personal information, such as full name, phone number and email address.

Workers’ Compensation Claim

Worker’s compensation is insurance that provides medical and wage benefits to employees who have been injured on the job. These claims provide:

• 100% coverage of medical bills, including copays and deductibles.
• Up to 2/3 of your salary, tax free, for the period you are deemed disabled.

In order to file a workers’ compensation claim, you must:

• Notify your employer within 30 days of the accident.
• Provide documentation from your doctor or medical provider indicating you are injured.
• File a C-3 document within 2 years of your accident.

Employers may try to discourage employees from filing a worker’s compensation claim. It is illegal for an employer to tell an employee not to file a worker’s compensation claim and an employer cannot retaliate against, or fire, employees for filing a workers’ compensation claim.

Personal Injury Claim

Depending on how the accident occurred, you may be able to file a personal injury claim in addition to a workers’ compensation claim. Your personal injury claim will be based on the New York’s Labor Law. This allows you to pursue a personal injury claim against certain entities that are affiliated with the job site for the failure to provide you with safety devices to perform your work or the failure to provide you with a safe place to work. Your personal injury claim will be comprised of past and future pain and suffering related to the injuries you have sustained at the job site and all the medical treatment you needed for these injuries. You are also making a claim for past and future lost wages, which includes any money that you did not receive that you believe you were entitled to, as well as your annuity, pension, and other parts of your benefits package.

It is important to note, you only have three years to file a personal injury claim. You can have both a workers’ compensation claim, and a personal injury claim at the same time.

The extent of construction accident injuries can range from cuts, scrapes, and bruises to severe, life-changing injuries. The most common injuries workers experience in construction accidents include:

• Burns
• Broken or fractured bones
• Concussions
• Traumatic brain injury
• Eye and facial injuries
• Back and neck injuries
• Paralysis
• Spinal cord damage
• Crushing injuries
• Internal organ damage
• Amputations
• Electrocution

No matter the extent of your injuries, you are entitled to receive fair compensation after a construction accident. The Barnes Firm will ensure you receive high-quality legal representation for your construction accident case and will work to help you get the best result possible.

At The Barnes Firm, our experienced construction accident attorneys are equipped to handle any type of construction accident injury case, no matter the cause. Our attorneys have identified that some of the most common causes of construction accidents include:

• Slip and Falls
• Falling objects and debris
• Electrocutions
• Scaffolding collapse
• Roof and ladder falls
• Crane accidents
• Caught in or between objects
• Fires and explosions
• Forklift accidents
• Elevator accidents
• Building collapse
• Brazing or welding accidents
• Toxic chemicals
• Dangerous equipment & machinery
• Nail gun accidents