How do you determine liability in construction accidents?

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By Yosi Yahoudai
Founder and Managing Partner

If you’ve ever set foot on a construction site, you know how chaotic it can be. People from different companies scrambling over uneven surfaces and moving around materials of shapes and sized can be a recipe for injury and death. Construction accident injuries happen everyday, and with the great number of people involved, determining liability can be a complex problem.

What Parties Are Involved?

The first place we start in determining liability in construction accidents is determining what parties are involved. These parties include:

  • Land/building owners – potentially liable for dangerous site conditions
  • Design Professionals, such as architects and engineers – may be liable for defective plans that cause injury
  • General Contractors – contractors are legally obligated to ensure site safety and to warn workers of site hazards or work that is inherently risky
  • Sub-Contractors – all subcontractors have an obligation to ensure workers are safe and adhere to OSHA safety standards
  • Site Managers – like contractors, managers may be liable for injuries obtained onsite that are under their control
  • Manufacturers/Suppliers – these individuals and companies may be liable for injuries caused by defective work equipment.
  • Insurance Companies – any insurance company covering any of the aforementioned individuals may be joined in a lawsuit for injuries.

Piecing Together the Liability Puzzle

When a construction injury attorney gets your case, he or she will gather information and a team of professionals to analyze the information. Items critical to determining liability can include:

  • Proof of land ownership
  • Contracts of all parties involved
  • Rosters of individuals present
  • Witness statements
  • Architectural drawings and engineering calculations
  • Policies and procedures
  • Safety inspections
  • Site Reports
  • OSHA Reports
  • Camera Footage

Your construction accident attorney will enlist the help of experts such as:

  • Doctors
  • Engineers
  • Architects
  • Construction professionals
  • Private investigators

Working together, your construction accident legal team can reconstruct the accident and place liability where it is due, enabling you to collet the best possible compensation award.

Have You Been Injured In A Construction Accident?

Construction sites can be deadly places to work. If you or your loved one has been injured in a construction accident, talking with an experienced personal injury attorney early in the process can help. The law firm of J&Y represents personal injury victims in Los Angeles, San Diego, and throughout the State of California. Contact us today for a free consultation at 888.806.6722.

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About the Author
Yosi Yahoudai is a founder and the managing partner of J&Y. His practice is comprised primarily of cases involving automobile and motorcycle accidents, but he also represents people in premises liability lawsuits, including suits alleging dangerous conditions of public property, third-party criminal conduct, and intentional torts. He also has expertise in cases involving product defects, dog bites, elder abuse, and sexual assault. He earned his Bachelor of Arts from the University of California and is admitted to practice in all California State Courts, and the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. If you have any questions about this article, you can contact Yosi by clicking here.