Did you get seriously injured on a job site in Georgia and have questions about what to expect after a construction accident? Call us today!
Choosing the Best Attorney
There are three components you can look at to determine whether or not you’ve hired the best lawyer. First off, you want an attorney who is educated on the specific aspects of construction accident cases. Do they know building codes? Have they studied building codes? Do they know the particular statutes of your case? Do they know the type of construction that was going on at the time of this incident?
Next, you want an attorney who’s going to take your case and put in the effort. Finally, you want an attorney with experience. Most lawyers will advertise that they do everything – throw out a big net and hope they catch a lot of fish. Then, for the areas of the law where they don’t practice, they’ll just refer it out to other lawyers who are more experienced in that area.
Common Mistakes To Avoid
One of the biggest mistakes people make in these cases is mot reporting it. They may not even say anything to their boss, the general contractor, the sub-contractor, or whomever is in charge on that job site. If you get hurt at a construction site, tell somebody and put it in writing, either via text or email.
A second mistake people make is that they don’t preserve evidence. Take some pictures on the site as soon as you can. If you don’t have a camera on your phone, somebody next to you does. Get photographs – multiple angles, close ups, far away – of the defect, machinery, or situation that injured you. You will also want to document your injury with photos.
Finally, the third mistake often made in these cases is not contacting an attorney in time.
Claim Value
The honest answer is I don’t know what your case is worth, and no attorney you call is going to be able to tell you exactly what your case is worth. There are some components of a personal injury case that are fairly easy to figure out, such as medical bills. There are also lost wages, past and future, to consider, as well. You also have to look at pain and suffering – the mental aspect, the emotional aspect, the actual pain aspect – what’s that worth?
Reporting an Accident
Giving notice is crucial. If no notice has been given that you’ve been injured, that can actually work to your detriment. It is not recommended that you give any kind of recorded statements; not giving notice, however, may end up being used against you in the future and throw some doubt on your credibility in the case. Even if your motives were perfectly fine in not giving notice, they can make that look as if you are hiding something, which can affect your damages.
After you give notice, though, things can get even more complicated in your construction site accident case. Issues that can come up include whether you are an employee or independent contractor, which affects who you could bring a personal injury claim against. Another issue that can come up is whether your own direct employer on a construction site has liability insurance, whether they have even workers’ comp insurance, and what insurance the general contractor may carry.
Were you or a loved one seriously injured on a job site in Georgia and have questions about what to expect after a construction accident?
Contact the experienced Georgia construction accident lawyers at Princenthal, May & Wilson, LLC, today for a free consultation and case evaluation.
Let our experience and dedication work for you.
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