The construction industry is one of Minnesota’s largest employers. Thousands of workers across the state are employed as laborers, electricians, masons, carpenters, engineers, and more. The hard work of Minnesota construction workers makes new development, economic growth, and infrastructure renewal possible. But the construction industry is one of the most dangerous for workers, and on-the-job accidents happen on a far too regular basis.

Job site injuries can result in lost wages, costly medical bills, permanent disabilities, and even death. But if you or your loved one were injured while working construction, you have rights. At Fields Law Firm, our work injury attorneys are dedicated to securing the best possible outcome for our clients.

It costs nothing to get answers to your questions – get a free consultation today!

Here’s How Our Minneapolis Construction Accident Lawyers Can Help:

A carpenter from Robbinsdale fell at work carrying a heavy bathroom mirror up some stairs at a construction site. He badly twisted his ankle and had to leave work. He received Workers’ Compensation benefits and began treatment on the ankle. After weeks of physical therapy, his condition slowly worsened. Nerves in his leg were badly damaged and causing radiating pain up his leg and into his hip.

His doctors were giving conflicting opinions about his next steps, and he grew tired of the slow responses for information from the insurance company, so he called Fields Law for help.

Our Construction Accident Attorneys started by obtaining all of our client’s medical records, and our team worked with the client to find new providers that would give treatment consistent with our client’s goals. The process was delayed because the employer’s company went out of business, but our team kept up the pressure on the insurance company.

Eventually, our attorneys negotiated a $125,000 settlement with the insurance company. Our client was relieved to be done fighting his insurer, and was pleased with the professional advocacy Fields Law Firm provided at every step.

Benefits Available to Injured Construction Workers

All workers have the right to a safe work environment. Most construction workers are trained to perform their jobs safely and to protect themselves and others. But, construction work sites are busy places, and everything from inexperienced subcontractors to unsafe scaffolding can cause serious injuries.

After a construction accident, you may worry about how to pay for the medical treatment you need, and how you’re going to support your family if you can’t work. Injured construction workers may be entitled to:

• Workers’ Compensation Benefits
  Most employers in Minnesota are required to carry Workers’ Compensation insurance to cover the costs of lost wages and hospital bills for injured workers.
• Long-Term Disability Benefits
  If your injury makes you unable to work for an extended period of time, you could qualify for long-term disability (LTD) benefits if you or your employer carry this type of insurance.
• Social Security Disability Benefits
  Social Security Disability (SSD) benefits are available to construction workers whose injury is expected to prevent them from working for more than one year or result in death.
• Personal Injury Compensation
  Injured construction workers may also be able to file claims against responsible parties if negligence, such as poorly designed or defective equipment, contributed to their accident.

If you were hurt while working in construction, Fields Law wants to help. We’ll answer your questions, determine what types of benefits you may be eligible to receive, and empower you to make confident decisions about your future. You won’t pay any Workers’ Compensation attorney fees until we win compensation for you, so it costs nothing to tell us about your situation and get our advice. You have questions. We have answers. We get results.

What if I was hurt on the job site because of defective equipment?

If you are hurt on the job site, your employer is primarily liable for your Workers’ Compensation benefits, such as medical expenses, wage loss, and any resulting permanent disability due to your work injury. However, if your injury is caused by the fault of a manufacturer of equipment, you may have a claim for product liability against the manufacturer of the defective equipment.

What is the benefit of bringing a claim against the manufacturer of defective equipment?
In general, the most significant difference between Workers’ Compensation cases and product liability claims, which are asserted against the manufacturer of defective equipment, is that in product liability claims, a person may be entitled to receive compensation for additional damages that are not available in Workers’ Compensation claims.

In both Workers’ Compensation cases and product liability cases, you can receive compensation for medical expenses, wage loss, and any permanent injuries or disabilities. However, in a product liability claim, you may claim additional damages such as pain and suffering, loss of future earning capacity, and loss of consortium (generally, the loss of services, comfort and companionship of your spouse).

The difference is that third-party liability claims are litigated in state or federal district courts, and Workers’ Compensation claims are litigated in administrative courts. Each court has different rules of procedure, is required to follow different law, and has differing time frames for the resolution of cases. The forum in which your case is litigated can affect the types of compensation you receive and the length of time it takes to resolve your case. The law that the court has to apply is also affected by the forum in which your claims are presented.

What is product liability?
Essentially, product liability is the responsibility of a manufacturer or persons along the manufacturing chain to compensate for damage caused by the product. The law provides that consumers harmed by defective products have the right to receive compensation from the manufacturer for that harm.

An example of a defective equipment injury that can result in the right to bring a product liability claim follows: You, the owner of a construction company, just purchased a tower crane for use at the job site where you work. After the tower crane is erected by a crew employed by the manufacturer of the crane, you are working on the job site. While performing your duties on-site, you are injured when the brakes on the crane fail to function properly and construction material falls from above. You can bring a product liability claim against the manufacturer of the crane for the defective brakes which caused your injury.

If you have been injured on a job site due to defective equipment, call Fields Law Firm to determine what potential claims you may have to compensate you for your injuries.