Rhode Island Construction Accident Lawyers

Representing Victims of Construction Site Accidents in Rhode Island

If you were injured or lost a loved one in a construction accident, it's important to understand your rights. For example, even if you file for workers’ compensation benefits, the law generally allows additional claims if a property owner, supplier, or subcontractor on the site has been negligent.

Our Rhode Island construction accident lawyers have extensive experience in handling construction and worksite injuries. Our attorneys also litigate claims involving defective equipment and defectively designed structures and worksites that contribute to worker injuries. 

With our long history of litigating and negotiating personal injury cases in Rhode Island, we know how to identify liable parties and help our clients pursue fair compensation for their injuries and other losses.

Find out how Decof, Mega & Quinn, P.C. can help you by calling (401) 200-4059. We’ve been representing Rhode Island’s injured for over 40 years.

Types of Construction Accident Cases We Handle

No matter the circumstances surrounding your accident or injuries, we have the resources to effectively investigate the incident and determine its true cause or causes. If someone other than your employer or a co-worker was accountable, we can consider other sources of compensation – in addition to workers’ comp benefits.

Workers’ compensation will only provide for a portion of lost wages and medical care. A personal injury or wrongful death suit against a third party can offer the invaluable opportunity to recover compensation for full loss of wages, loss of potential earnings, emotional trauma, and more.

From our office in Providence, our attorneys represent Rhode Island construction workers in cases involving:

• Electrocutions
• Explosions
• Machinery and equipment accidents
• Scaffolding accidents
• Falls from heights
• Falling debris
• Ground collapses
• Vehicle accidents
• Overexertion

Common Construction Site Injuries

According to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), one in five worker deaths, on average, are caused by construction accidents. Additionally, non-fatal injuries sustained in construction accidents are often severe, resulting in permanent physical injury or disability, costly medical bills, and the inability to return to work. 

Construction accidents often result in serious injuries, such as:

• Spinal cord injuries
• Traumatic brain injuries
• Burn injuries
• Amputations
• Broken bones
• Chemical exposure
• Eye and vision damage
• Internal organ injuries

Filing a Workers' Comp Claim After a Construction Accident

In Rhode Island, employers with one or more employees are required to carry worker’s compensation insurance to cover lost wages and medical bills for any workers injured on the job, with some exceptions. If you've been injured in a construction accident, you may initially think you have a straightforward worker’s compensation claim for an on-the-job injury.

However, every workplace accident has different circumstances and several variables need to be investigated, including the specific facts of the accident, the individuals involved, what equipment and/or machinery was involved, who owned that piece of equipment, and who was operating it. 

Inquiry into the different aspects of the factual scenario leading up to the tragic construction accident is crucial in order to decipher any and all causes of action.

What to do if you’re injured on the job:

• Report the injury to your employer in writing
• Fill out a worker’s compensation claim form
• File the claim as soon as possible
• Seek counsel from an attorney

Additional Avenues of Compensation

It is important to remember that, in the case of a construction accident or other work-related injury, worker’s compensation laws may not be your only remedy for the injuries and damages you and your family have sustained. 

In addition to any workers' compensation claim against an employer, the injured worker or the family members of a deceased worker may avail themselves to third party causes of actions, such as:

• Products Liability (claims against the manufacture of the equipment/machinery would include causes of action, such as defective design, defective manufacture, failure to warn – to name a few).
• Premises Liability (claims against the landowner for conditions that may have caused or contributed to the construction accident, as well as an action against another sub-contractor).

Take this opportunity to discuss your right to compensation and whether a third party may have been liable. Call (401) 200-4059 for a free consultation with our Rhode Island construction accident attorneys.