A construction accident can leave you facing surgery, time away from work, and uncertainty about how your family will manage. You may already be receiving calls from an insurance company while trying to understand what happened and whether you will be able to return to your job.
If you were injured while working at a construction site in Glassboro, New Jersey, workers’ compensation may cover part of your medical care and lost wages. But the company that employed you may not be the only business involved. A general contractor, property owner, subcontractor, equipment company, or another project participant may also bear responsibility, depending on who controlled the work and what caused the accident.
Glassboro is located in Gloucester County, but construction projects often bring together companies and workers from across South Jersey and the Philadelphia region. Fulginiti Law can investigate those relationships, determine which parties may be legally responsible, and explain the options available under New Jersey law. (glassboro.org)
Glassboro is located in Gloucester County, but construction projects often bring together companies and workers from across South Jersey and the Philadelphia region. Fulginiti Law can investigate those relationships, determine which parties may be legally responsible, and explain the options available under New Jersey law. (glassboro.org)
A Construction Injury May Involve Two Different Claims
The legal process depends on whether you were working when you were hurt and whether someone other than your employer contributed to the accident.Workers’ Compensation Benefits
New Jersey workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system. An eligible employee does not ordinarily need to prove that the employer caused the accident to seek benefits. Depending on the injury, those benefits may include authorized medical treatment, temporary wage-replacement payments, and compensation for a permanent disability. In exchange for these benefits, an employee generally cannot sue the employer for pain, suffering, and other civil damages. New Jersey recognizes a narrow exception for an employer’s intentional wrong, but ordinary carelessness is not enough to meet that standard. The New Jersey Division of Workers’ Compensation’s injured-worker page provides general information about benefits, authorized treatment, and disputed claims. (nj.gov)A Separate Claim Against Another Company
Workers’ compensation does not prevent an injured employee from pursuing a claim against a legally responsible third party. A third party is generally a person or business other than the worker’s employer or an immune co-employee. For example, a worker employed by an electrical subcontractor might be injured because another contractor created an unguarded opening. A delivery driver might be struck by equipment operated by a different company. A defective lift, power tool, or safety component could also involve a manufacturer, rental business, or maintenance provider. A third-party claim requires evidence that the other party owed a legal duty and that its negligent conduct or defective product contributed to the injury. New Jersey law also gives a workers’ compensation carrier certain reimbursement or credit rights when an injured employee recovers from a third party. Coordinating the two matters is important so that benefits, liens, and any civil recovery are handled correctly. (nj.gov)What to Do After a Construction Accident in Glassboro
Your health comes first. Once immediate medical needs are addressed, a few practical steps can help protect both your workers’ compensation rights and any potential third-party claim.- Get medical attention. Call for emergency help if the injury is serious. Explain how the accident happened and report every affected part of your body. For non-emergency treatment, New Jersey generally permits the employer or workers’ compensation carrier to select the authorized treating provider. Do not delay emergency care while waiting for authorization. (nj.gov)
- Report the accident promptly. Tell your employer, supervisor, or designated site manager where, when, and how you were hurt. Written notice, such as an email or text, can help establish when the report was made. Ask for a copy of any incident report you are allowed to receive.
- Identify the companies at the site. Write down the names or logos shown on vehicles, equipment, hard hats, signs, badges, and temporary offices. The company directing your daily work may not own the property, operate the equipment, or control overall site safety.
- Document what you can safely observe. If conditions permit, take photographs of the area, equipment, and visible injuries. Do not return to a dangerous area, interfere with ongoing work, or remove tools or materials that do not belong to you.
- Keep basic records. Save medical instructions, work-status notes, pay information, benefit letters, and communications from employers or insurance companies. Keep a simple account of missed work and how the injury affects daily activities.
- Be careful with releases and recorded statements. You may need to cooperate with the workers’ compensation process, but a different contractor or liability insurer may also seek a statement. Consider getting legal advice before signing a release or giving a recorded account to another company’s insurer.
Who May Be Responsible for a Construction-Site Injury?
Responsibility does not follow a job title automatically. It depends on who created the danger, knew or should have known about it, controlled the work, maintained the equipment, or had the ability and responsibility to correct the condition. Potentially responsible parties may include:- A general contractor or construction manager that controlled relevant work, coordinated the trades, created the condition, or assumed particular safety responsibilities.
- Another subcontractor whose employees left an opening unguarded, dropped materials, energized a system, operated equipment unsafely, or otherwise created the hazard.
- A property owner, developer, or property manager that retained control over the premises or was responsible for a dangerous property condition.
- An equipment manufacturer, distributor, rental company, or repair provider if defective design, manufacturing, warnings, maintenance, or repairs contributed to the accident.
- A delivery company or vehicle operator involved in a collision, backing incident, unsecured-load accident, or material-handling event.
Construction Accidents and Serious Injuries
Construction injuries can happen during new building work, renovations, demolition, utility installation, road work, maintenance, and material delivery. Common events include:- Falls from ladders, scaffolds, roofs, lifts, or unguarded edges
- Falling tools, building materials, or unsecured loads
- Crane, forklift, excavator, and other equipment accidents
- Trench collapses, structural failures, and caught-between incidents
- Power-tool and machinery accidents
- Fires, explosions, chemical exposure, and construction-site burn injuries
- Electrocution, arc flashes, and other electrical accidents
Evidence That Can Help Explain What Happened
An injured person is not expected to conduct a full site investigation. Preserve what is reasonably available and tell the lawyer what you remember. Particularly useful information may include:- Photographs, videos, incident reports, and the exact accident location
- Names and contact details for witnesses, supervisors, and involved companies
- Medical records, diagnostic images, work restrictions, and treatment instructions
- Information identifying equipment, tools, vehicles, or products involved
- Pay records and communications concerning the accident, benefits, or return to work
Compensation and Benefits That May Be Available
The available recovery depends on the type of claim, the nature of the injury, and the evidence. Workers’ compensation benefits may include:- Reasonable and necessary authorized medical care
- Temporary disability benefits for qualifying time away from work
- Permanent partial or permanent total disability benefits
- Dependency benefits when a work-related injury results in death
- Past and future medical expenses
- Lost income and reduced future earning capacity
- Pain, suffering, and loss of enjoyment of life
- Disability, disfigurement, and loss of physical function
- Future rehabilitation, assistance, or long-term care
- Wrongful-death and related losses suffered by qualifying family members
How Fulginiti Law Can Investigate a Construction Accident
A construction case often begins with a basic question: Who was responsible for the work or condition that caused the injury? Fulginiti Law can examine the companies present at the site and investigate their separate roles. That work may include determining who owned the property, who hired each contractor, who supervised the activity, who supplied or maintained the equipment, and who had authority over the dangerous condition. The firm can also communicate with insurers, obtain relevant records, interview witnesses, evaluate potential product or premises claims, and work with appropriate experts when technical issues must be explained. If a third-party claim is available, the firm can address the relationship between that case and any workers’ compensation lien or credit. The goal is not to assume that every company on a project is responsible. It is to identify the parties whose conduct may have contributed to the accident and build the claim around reliable evidence.
Important New Jersey Deadlines
New Jersey generally allows two years to file a personal injury lawsuit, although the starting date and possible exceptions are fact-specific. An injured employee should report a workplace accident immediately; workers’ compensation may be barred when the employer neither knew about the injury nor received notice within 90 days. A formal workers’ compensation claim petition generally must be filed within two years of the injury or the last payment of compensation, whichever is later. If a New Jersey public entity or public employee may be responsible, a notice of tort claim is generally required within 90 days after the claim accrues. Prompt review is important because the applicable deadline depends on the defendants and circumstances. (lis.njleg.state.nj.us)Frequently Asked Questions About Glassboro Construction Accidents
Can I receive workers’ compensation and also bring a lawsuit?
Possibly. Workers’ compensation generally addresses the employment-related injury without requiring proof of fault. A separate lawsuit may be available if a third party—such as another contractor, an owner, or an equipment company—was legally responsible. The workers’ compensation carrier may have reimbursement or credit rights against a third-party recovery.Can I sue the general contractor or property owner?
Only when the evidence and applicable law support a claim. A general contractor may be responsible if it controlled relevant work, created the hazard, or assumed duties connected to the accident. An owner’s potential responsibility may depend on control of the property, knowledge of the condition, and the agreements between the project participants. Merely being associated with the project does not establish liability.What if someone says the accident was partly my fault?
Workers’ compensation is generally available without deciding who caused the accident. Fault does matter in a third-party negligence case. Under New Jersey’s comparative-negligence rule, a person’s damages may be reduced by the percentage of fault assigned to that person, and recovery may be barred if that fault exceeds the negligence of the party or combined parties from whom recovery is sought. (lis.njleg.state.nj.us)Should I wait until my medical treatment is finished before contacting a lawyer?
No. Your long-term medical condition may take time to understand, but the investigation should often begin much sooner. Site conditions can change, recordings may be overwritten, and witnesses can become difficult to locate. A lawyer can begin preserving evidence while treatment continues.Other areas where we handle Construction Accident:
- Middletown Construction Accident
- Pottstown Construction Accident
- Bensalem Construction Accidents
- Chester Construction Accidents
- Abington Construction Accidents
- Lower Merion Construction Accident
- Doylestown Construction Accidents
- West Chester Construction Accident
- Cherry Hill Construction Accidents
- Willingboro Construction Accident
- East Norriton Construction Accidents
- Lansdale Construction Accident
- Camden Construction Accidents
- Coatesville Construction Accidents
- Voorhees Construction Accident
- Upper Darby Construction Accident
- Deptford Construction Accidents
- Pennsauken Construction Accident
- Norristown Construction Accident
- Haverford Construction Accident
- Mount Laurel Construction Accident
- Levittown Construction Accident
- Gloucester Construction Accident
- Media Construction Accident
- King of Prussia Construction Accident
