Lawyer Serving Construction Accident Victims in Bellingham
Located in the Puget Sound region, on Bellingham Bay, the city of Bellingham is 28.90 square miles, situated 21 miles south of the United States-Canada border. As of 2019, it had a population of 92,314. Over the last decade, Bellingham has undergone major development, with many construction projects on the waterfront of its former industrial land. These construction projects have involved condos, hotels, conference centers, retirement housing, retail stores, and other commercial development. If you were injured or a loved one was killed and you believe it was the fault of a third party, you should call the seasoned Bellingham construction accident lawyers of Walton Law.
Construction Accidents
Construction accidents may involve unmarked dangers, falls, chemical exposures, heavy equipment, machines, crane collapse, trench collapses, lack of training or safety meetings, electrical shocks, or moving vehicles—or some combination of these. With regard to their employer, a construction worker will be limited to recovering workers’ compensation benefits, which are no-fault benefits that don’t usually cover the full scope of losses. However, a third-party lawsuit may allow for both economic and non-economic damages, along with punitive damages, in some situations.
Third-Party Lawsuits
Sometimes construction workers are injured by a different contractor or subcontractor than the one they vote for, or by the property owner’s negligence. When a third party causes a construction accident, it may be appropriate to sue for damages. In many cases, our lawyers will need to prove negligence by showing it’s more likely than not, (1) the defendant owed you a duty to use reasonable care, (2) breach of the duty to use reasonable care, (3) causation, and (4) damages.
The duty to use reasonable care depends on the situation and can be breached in different ways. For example, while serving Bellingham construction accident victims, our lawyers may be able to establish liability if scaffolding was constructed negligently and improperly by a framer and a window subcontractor fell from the third floor and suffered multiple complex fractures. For another example, if a supplier for the electricity subcontractor visits the site and suffers electrocution from an unguarded energized conductor that the developer knew but failed to provide adequate warnings about, the supplier might be able to establish the developer’s negligence.
Recovering Damages
Generally, the damages award we can obtain on behalf of a client is higher than what they can recover through the workers’ compensation system. There are complex considerations at play, and they can, among other things, require significant examination of multiple parties’ insurance and the scope of work on site. When our lawyers can establish liability of the appropriate parties, we may be able to recover compensatory damages, or damages intended to put you back in the position you would have been in had there been no construction accident.
Compensatory damages include both economic and noneconomic losses, but the amount our Bellingham construction accident lawyers can recover depends on the severity of the injuries. For instance, if your spouse suffered severe brain injuries and crushing injuries as the result of being crushed against a loading dock at a construction site, he might be able to recover a significant damages award including the costs of emergency medical care, treatment, surgeries, replacement services, lost wages, lost earning capacity, pain and suffering, mental anguish, and loss of enjoyment of life. You might be able to recover for loss of consortium.
When a defendant’s conduct is truly egregious, it may be appropriate to seek punitive damages, which punish and deter wrongdoing. The severity of the misconduct and what sum would represent punishment for a particular defendant will influence what a jury is willing to award an accident victim.
When a construction worker or visitor dies onsite, a personal representative may pursue wrongful death damages.
Hire a Seasoned Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction is known to be one of the most dangerous occupations. Construction accidents can result in devastating and life-altering injuries. Sometimes visitors are also injured on construction sites. If you were injured or a loved one died through the fault of another, you should call our seasoned construction accident attorneys based in Bellingham. Our award-winning founder, Chris Walton has the highest possible rating (AV Preeminent) that Martindale-Hubbell bestows. At Walton Law, our compassionate, results-oriented lawyers provide personalized service to every client. Understanding you may not be able to meet with us during normal business hours, we offer both evening and weekend appointments. We can come to you if you’re too injured to come to our offices. Call our seasoned Washington personal injury lawyers at (866) 338-7079 or online to schedule a free consultation.