Construction sites are high-risk environments with serious injury potential, making construction one of the country’s most dangerous industries. In fact, construction injury rates are 71% higher than all other industries combined, and one in five worker fatalities occur in the construction industry. If you or a loved one has been injured in a construction accident, you may take legal action with help from an Orland Park construction accident lawyer at our personal injury law firm.
With decades of combined experience, we can guide you through the complex legal process—including the workers’ compensation insurance process—to recover compensation for your workplace injuries. Call us for a free consultation.
In this Article
Do I Need a Lawyer for a Construction Accident in Orland Park?
What Causes Construction Accidents in Orland Park?
Serious accidents on active construction sites often stem from negligence, safety protocol failures, or unsafe working conditions. Chief among these are the “fatal four” safety failures—falls (frequently due to missing fall protection systems or ladder accidents), struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and crush injuries. Other severe risks include trench collapses, crane accidents, and hazardous exposures. Additionally, many devastating injuries involve heavy machinery, electrical equipment, and unsafe tools (including construction vehicles), where sudden equipment malfunctions or defective machinery leave injured victims with life-altering trauma.
Types of Injuries That Can Result from a Construction Accident
Common severe injuries requiring medical treatment for an injured party include broken bones, lacerations, and head injuries (like traumatic brain injuries). In addition, workers on construction jobs can suffer spinal cord injuries, severe burns from fires and explosions, amputations, and internal organ damage.
How Are Construction Workers Protected in Orland Park, IL?
Laws to protect employees in workplace accidents include:
- Federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) laws set safety standards and protect the construction industry and its workers from accidents and injuries, requiring employers to provide safety protocols and training, equipment, and a safe work environment.
- Under the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission (IWCC), Illinois’s no-fault workers’ compensation system requires virtually all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance to provide injured workers with essential medical coverage and disability benefits. If you are temporarily disabled from an on-the-job injury, workers’ compensation pays 2/3 of your average weekly wage while you recover. Furthermore, state and federal laws guarantee that workers have the right to report unsafe job site conditions and are strictly protected against employer retaliation for doing so.
- Third-party claims provide a way to seek compensation from non-employer responsible parties, such as contractors or manufacturers.
- Illinois law also imposes steep penalties and increased fines for motorists who commit traffic infractions or drive recklessly through a designated highway work zone.
Steps to Take After a Construction Site Accident
Injured construction workers should take the following steps:
- Seek medical care immediately for any hidden or visible injuries.
- Report the accident to your employer or construction site manager.
- Document the accident; take photos of the accident scene and equipment involved.
- Gather witness contact information for corroborating statements.
- Obtain OSHA inspection reports to reveal safety violations.
- Keep track of all medical records and expenses related to your injury.
- Consult with an experienced construction accident lawyer to understand your legal options for recovering full compensation.
How Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help
To help you pursue the financial recovery you deserve, a construction accident lawyer will launch a thorough investigation into your accident. By identifying how another party’s negligence contributed to your injuries, your attorney can establish clear liability and pinpoint every available avenue of compensation—including both workers’ compensation and third-party claims. Furthermore, if your initial benefits were turned down, an experienced personal injury attorney can help injured workers appeal denied workers’ compensation claims to ensure you do not lose out on coverage.
Your lawyer will gather evidence (such as safety reports) to build a strong case, negotiate with insurance companies, and accurately value your Orland Park construction accident claim. If necessary, they will represent you in court.
Who Can Be Held Liable for My Construction Accident Injuries?
While Illinois workers’ compensation acts as the exclusive remedy against your direct employer—meaning you generally cannot sue them—multiple other parties on a construction site can be held liable. If a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer’s negligence caused your accident, you can file a third-party personal injury lawsuit against them.
Depending on the circumstances, an injured construction worker can pursue both a workers’ comp claim for immediate benefits and a third-party personal injury claim for maximum compensation.
What Types of Compensation Can I Receive?
Victims injured by unsafe site conditions or inadequate safety measures may be entitled to financial compensation for medical bills, lost wages, rehabilitation, and pain and suffering. Even if you were partially to blame, Illinois’s modified comparative fault rule allows for partial recovery. Furthermore, filing a third-party claim can secure damages beyond standard workers’ compensation benefits, and in the event of a fatal accident, surviving family members can pursue additional compensation through a wrongful death lawsuit.
What Is My Personal Injury Case Worth?
Each construction accident case is unique. Your Orland Park accident attorney will evaluate your case considering the severity of injuries sustained, lost income, medical expenses, and the extent of pain and suffering you’ve experienced.
What If I Was Injured on a Construction Site, but I’m Not a Construction Worker?
People injured on a construction job site who are not Orland Park construction workers may still have legal rights. Consulting with a construction accident lawyer on our legal team can help you understand your options and determine the best course of action.
How Much Time Do I Have to Take Action?
Legal deadlines affect both workers’ compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits in Illinois. Missing these strict timelines can permanently bar you from recovering financial compensation.
- Reporting your injury: you must notify your employer of your work-related injury within 45 days of the accident.
- Workers’ compensation claims: you must file a formal claim with the IWCC within three years of your injury date or within two years of receiving your final benefit payment, depending on which date is later.
- Third-party personal injury lawsuits: the Illinois statute of limitations to file a civil personal injury lawsuit against a negligent third party is two years from the date of the construction accident.
Our Orland Park Construction Accident Attorneys Are Ready to Help
If you suffered injuries on a construction site due to dangerous site conditions or someone else’s negligence, contact our law firm for a free initial consultation with an experienced attorney. We explore injured clients’ legal rights and seek full and fair compensation.
Our construction injury attorneys are here to provide legal representation to help construction accident victims in Cook County with legal claims, including workers’ compensation and third-party liability claims. Our legal team works on a contingency fee basis, so you pay no legal fees unless we win your fair settlement.
(312) 223-1700