Every year, more American workers are injured or killed in construction-related accidents than in any other industry: The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated in 2023 that construction injuries witnessed the highest number of fatalities compared to all other sectors, a record that has been in place since 2011. Between 2011 and 2019, the frequency of construction site injuries went up by over 41%, proving that the dangers of the building industry aren’t going away anytime soon.
If you were seriously injured while working on a construction site, there are two potential avenues for compensation: a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit against a third party. A Hillsboro construction accident lawyer at Harris Velázquez Gibbens, PC, can assist you in identifying the right option for your case and pursuing an outcome that covers your medical bills, lost wages, and other damages. Call us today to schedule your free consultation.
Why Hire Us for Your Construction Accident Claim in Hillsboro?
If you’re hurt on the job, it’s important to work with an experienced attorney who knows how to get results. At Harris Velázquez Gibbens, we’re committed to making sure injured workers get the help they need and the fair compensation they’re entitled to receive.
- Proven Results Across Injury Claims: We’ve helped many injured clients recover maximum compensation for medical care costs, lost income, and long-term effects. Our track record shows that we know how to build strong cases, even when construction companies or insurance adjusters push back.
- Clear, Consistent Communication: You won’t be left wondering what’s happening with your case. Our personal injury attorneys keep you updated, answer your questions promptly, and explain the legal process in plain language. You’ll always know where things stand and what comes next.
- Strong Negotiation Skills: Insurance providers often try to settle for less, hoping that you’re desperate enough to accept. As your legal representation, we will push back. Our experienced lawyers know how to negotiate settlements that reflect the true impact of your injuries – past, present, and future.
- Trial-Ready When Needed: While many construction injury cases settle, our personal injury attorneys are fully prepared to take a case to court. We don’t back down when the other side stalls or refuses to offer a fair settlement. That preparation helps drive better outcomes, even outside the courtroom.
- Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims: Injured construction workers often have both a workers’ compensation claim and a possible personal injury claim against another company or contractor. Our personal injury lawyers know how to handle both at the same time, so that no source of compensation gets overlooked.
We know you’re already dealing with enough. That’s why we’re upfront about what to expect, how long things may take, and how we can help. Our goal is to keep things as straightforward as possible while fighting for what you’re owed.
Types of Construction Accidents in Hillsboro, OR
More than 4,764 occupational fatalities were reported in the United States in 2020. Construction and materials moving occupations account for 47.4% of all fatalities and a higher percentage of workplace injuries. Some of the accidents that can occur on a construction site are highlighted below.
- Machinery Accidents: Construction workers are exposed to a variety of dangerous machinery, from motor vehicles to drills and other power tools. There is a risk of severe injuries when these are defective, have malfunctioned, or are accidentally misused by others.
- Electrocution Accidents: When exposed to high-voltage equipment, construction workers risk serious or fatal injury. Overloaded outlets, exposed wiring, power lines, damaged extension cords, and static discharges can all result in an electrocution accident.
- Fall Accidents: Most construction workers, especially those involved in erecting buildings, work at significant heights. If fall protection is absent or defective, they can slip or lose their balance and fall. Catastrophic injuries can also occur when objects like tools and building materials fall from cranes or buildings and hit workers on the ground.
- Motor Vehicle Accidents: Various kinds of vehicles are used on construction sites, from large trucks to bulldozers, forklifts, cranes, excavators, motor graders, and trenchers. When operators aren’t paying attention or the vehicle malfunctions, workers can be struck, run over, or hit by falling objects. Injuries also occur when negligent drivers pass through or near the job site, striking those at work.
- Fires and Explosions: When there are flammable chemicals on a construction site, it only takes a small spark to ignite a fire, putting many workers at risk of burns and smoke inhalation injuries. Upon starting a fire, it may be difficult to contain, and combustible dust could ignite, causing a second fire.
When any of these accidents occur, the following elements can make the situation even more dangerous:
- Lack of Safety Training: Despite the hazards of their work, many construction workers lack safety training. Even those who are trained may disregard key safety instructions, resulting in accidents and injuries.
- Lack of Face and Eye Protection: Often, construction workers neglect to wear eye and face protection. The most common causes of eye and face injuries are being struck by heavy equipment, chemical exposure, and electrical shocks.
- Lack of Respiratory Protection: When workers inhale chemicals or dust specks, they can develop severe respiratory disorders such as asthma. Many of them have been diagnosed with lung cancer as a result of exposure to silica dust, asbestos, and other industrial chemicals.
Common Injuries in a Hillsboro Construction Accident
There is a high risk of life-threatening and long-term injuries following construction accidents. These injuries often require extensive treatment, impact the ability to work, and create lasting changes in day-to-day life. They include the following:
- Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI): A blow to the head from a falling object, a slip, or an equipment accident can cause a TBI. Symptoms of brain damage range from headaches and memory loss to permanent cognitive impairment. Some workers lose speech, motor function, or the ability to care for themselves without assistance.
- Spinal Cord Injury: Damage to the spinal cord can result in partial or full paralysis. These injuries often occur after falls from ladders, scaffolding, or unprotected edges. Recovery may involve surgery, long hospital stays, and ongoing physical therapy.
- Severe Burns: Explosions, electrical contact, or exposure to hazardous chemicals can lead to third-degree burns. Burn victims often need skin grafts, reconstructive surgery, and extended pain management. Scarring and infection are common complications.
- Broken Bones: Falling tools, heavy machinery, and structural collapses can all cause fractures. A broken limb may require plates, screws, or pins. Healing can take months, and some breaks never fully return to their previous strength or function.
- Crush Injuries: When a worker is caught between equipment, trapped under debris, or struck by a vehicle, they can suffer crush injuries. Victims may experience extensive soft tissue damage, nerve injuries, and a high risk of infection or loss of function in the affected area.
- Amputation: Machinery accidents, high-impact trauma, or untreated crush injuries may lead to amputation. Construction workers who lose a limb may need assistive devices and retraining for other types of employment.
- Organ Damage: A blow to the torso can damage internal organs like the lungs, liver, or kidneys. These injuries may not be visible right away, but they often require emergency surgery and long-term care.
- Internal Bleeding: Internal bleeding is common after high-impact falls or blunt-force trauma. It can quickly become life-threatening if not identified and treated. Some injuries may bleed slowly, causing a delayed drop in blood pressure or collapse.
- Wrongful Death: Some construction accidents result in death at the scene or after hospitalization. Falls, electrocution, and equipment failures are among the most common causes. Families often face sudden loss and financial strain in addition to grief.
Injuries like these can be painful and difficult to treat, and some even result in long-term disabilities. A Hillsboro construction accident attorney will aggressively pursue the fair compensation you need to manage your life after your accident.
Third Parties Involved in Hillsboro, OR Construction Accidents
Every state, including Oregon, has a workers’ compensation system to compensate injured workers. In exchange for receiving workers’ compensation benefits, construction workers generally relinquish the right to sue their employers. Still, they do have the option of filing a direct claim against any third party involved in their accident. Depending on the cause of your injuries, these parties may include:
- General Contractors: General contractors manage daily operations at a construction site. If they fail to maintain proper safety levels and you aren’t employed by them, you can file a personal injury lawsuit for any injuries resulting from their negligence.
- Subcontractors: General contractors hire these parties to perform specific tasks on a job site. A subcontractor may be liable for your injuries if their negligence causes an accident.
- Equipment Manufacturers: Many workplace incidents are caused by defective machinery and construction materials. If this happens to you, you can seek compensation from the manufacturer.
- Delivery Vehicles: Drivers delivering materials to construction sites don’t always pay attention to safety. If they are distracted, impaired, or careless, they can strike and seriously injure those working on-site.
Compensatory Damages in a Hillsboro Construction Accident
Depending on who caused or contributed to your injuries, you may be able to seek compensation through both workers’ compensation and work injury lawsuits. When severe injuries occur, third-party injury claims can often result in settlements that far exceed workers’ compensation benefits.
For example, in Oregon, workers’ compensation covers your medical bills, two-thirds of your weekly wage, disability, and re-employment help if necessary. With a construction accident claim against a third party, you may be able to recover economic and non-economic damages such as:
- Medical Bills: Medical expenses include the cost of emergency treatment, hospital stays, surgery, doctor visits, prescription medications, rehabilitation, and assistive equipment. Future medical expenses can also be included, such as follow-up care or long-term therapy for permanent injuries.
- Lost Wages: If a physical injury prevents you from working, you may be able to recover the income you missed during your recovery. This includes regular paychecks, overtime, bonuses, and other job-related benefits. If your recovery takes months, these losses can add up quickly.
- Disability: When injuries result in permanent or long-term impairment, you may qualify for disability compensation. This covers reduced earning capacity due to partial or total loss of physical or mental ability.
- Pain and Suffering: Physical pain from burns, fractures, surgeries, or chronic conditions can last well after the accident. Pain and suffering compensation accounts for both the immediate and ongoing discomfort that interferes with your everyday life.
- Emotional Trauma: Construction accidents often involve intense fear, anxiety, and emotional distress. Some victims develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or insomnia. Emotional trauma compensation helps address the mental and psychological toll of the accident.
- Loss of Enjoyment of Life: When injuries affect your ability to enjoy hobbies, travel, social events, or independent living, you may be compensated for the loss of personal freedom and satisfaction. This applies when the injury limits your ability to take part in things that once brought joy.
- Loss of Consortium: This type of compensation is for the spouse or partner of the injured worker. It covers loss of companionship, affection, intimacy, and support that the injured person can no longer provide because of the accident.
- Property Damage: In some construction accidents, personal property such as tools, vehicles, or safety gear is damaged or destroyed. Property damage compensation helps cover repair or replacement costs for those items.
- Wrongful Death: If a construction accident results in death, surviving family members may be able to file a wrongful death claim. Compensation can include funeral expenses, loss of income the deceased would have earned, and loss of care, guidance, and companionship.
At Harris Velázquez Gibbens, PC, we have extensive experience defending the rights of people injured in construction accidents. Many managers and companies will challenge your workers’ compensation claim or, in the case of a personal injury lawsuit, try to blame the accident on you. Oregon is a modified comparative negligence state for accidents, so if you are more than 51% at fault for your injuries, you can’t recover financial compensation. Insurers know this and will sometimes use extreme tactics to make you admit fault and absolve them of liability.
A personal injury lawyer at our firm can protect you from these underhanded strategies by handling all communication with insurance companies and making sure that you don’t unintentionally jeopardize your rights. We can also help you maximize your settlement so that you have access to the money and medical treatment you need to recover from your construction accident. You only pay us if we win your case, so you have absolutely nothing to lose by learning more about what we can do for you.
Get a Free Consultation From a Hillsboro Construction Accident Lawyer
Construction has well-known risks, but that doesn’t negate your rights. If you have been seriously injured and left with both medical bills and income loss, you can recover compensation. Our Hillsboro construction accident lawyers are available to help you or a loved one who has been injured in a construction site accident. Call Harris Velázquez Gibbens, PC, at 503-610-4398 or contact our law office online to schedule a free consultation.
