If a bystander is also hurt in a construction accident in Pennsylvania, there are several steps they should accomplish to protect their access to compensatory damages.
Several things should happen after a construction site involving a passerby victim. These include calling the police and going to the hospital. Taking these steps can allow a victim to begin building evidence of fault against a negligent construction company in Pennsylvania. Victims can then file a lawsuit for compensation. This must happen within two years of a construction accident causing injury to a bystander. Going to trial can often allow victims to claim greater damages than settling in Pennsylvania. If other victims were hurt in the accident that injured you, their statements regarding the defendant’s negligence can be helpful to your case.
To get a confidential and free analysis of your case from our Philadelphia construction injury lawyers, call The Reiff Law Firm at (215) 709-6940.
What Should Happen After a Bystander is Injured in a Construction Site Accident in Pennsylvania?
Following an accident that caused injury to a bystander at a construction site in Pennsylvania, certain things should happen. As a victim, you should get immediate medical attention for your initial injuries and properly document your accident.
If you are not employed by a construction site and are injured while passing one in Pennsylvania, it will benefit you to call the police and report the accident. While employees can typically inform their employers of their injuries, our Pennsylvania construction injury lawyers advise other victims to call local law enforcement, as officers can create a detailed report of a victim’s accident and its cause. Before leaving the accident site, take pictures of the scene and your injuries if possible. Speak to eyewitnesses and get their contact information as well.
Going to the hospital is also necessary. If you plan on pursuing compensation against a negligent construction site in Pennsylvania, it is important that you begin building medical evidence of your injuries. Any medical records from the hours, days, weeks, and months following a construction site accident can illustrate the seriousness of your injuries and help act as proof of damages against a defendant in a lawsuit in Pennsylvania.
Maintain records of your damages, such as lost wages and medical costs, and seek continuous care for your injuries. Speak to those close to you about your emotional challenges following an accident, as their testimony can be helpful to your case regarding recovery for pain and suffering.
Can Litigation Follow a Construction Site Involving a Bystander in Pennsylvania?
Those injured in a construction site accident in Pennsylvania can typically seek compensation by filing a lawsuit against the negligent party responsible for their injuries. Often, the defendant in such cases will be a construction company.
If you were hurt as a passerby at a construction site in Pennsylvania, you can likely sue the construction company directly. This is often true, even if a negligent construction worker contributed to your injuries. Construction companies are typically responsible for workers’ actions while performing within the scope of their workplace duties. So, suppose a construction worker dropped a piece of equipment, and it hit you, causing physical injuries. In that case, you may be able to sue the worker and the construction company that employs them in Pennsylvania.
Construction workers are barred from suing a construction company directly for their injuries, provided the construction company has the proper insurance. Because a construction company does not employ passersby, they are such protections from litigation in place.
It is important to entertain the possibility that a third party, not a construction company, caused a victim’s injuries in Pennsylvania. The construction company may not be fully or liable for a victim’s damages in these cases.
Will a Trial Follow a Construction Site Accident in Pennsylvania?
After you file a lawsuit against a negligent construction company in Pennsylvania for injuries you sustained as a bystander, the defendant might want to settle the case. You should learn what settling might mean regarding your recovery.
Passersby struck by falling objects or otherwise hurt due to negligence on construction sites might sustain various injuries, including broken bones, head injuries, fractures, and other severe injuries. This means recovery is important so a victim can handle the medical expenses and lost wages incurred because of their injuries in Pennsylvania.
Because of this, it may be prudent for victims to go to trial. Settling out of court could result in you claiming lesser damages that do not adequately reflect the financial damages you have incurred or the pain and suffering you have experienced. Going to court can also allow you to recover punitive damages if the construction company that caused your injuries exhibited gross negligence in doing so.
What if a Bystander is Not the Only Victim of a Construction Site Accident in Pennsylvania?
Sometimes, construction site accidents are extreme and cause injury to many victims in Pennsylvania. What might that mean for your case if you were a bystander to an accident and then were also harmed?
An explosion at a construction site might cause injury to workers as well as victims who would have otherwise been simply bystanders or witnesses to the accident. Other incidents at construction sites in Pennsylvania might have a similar result. If other victims are involved in the accident that caused you injury, they may file a separate claim for compensation against the negligent party ultimately responsible.
Witness accounts from other victims or passersby that saw an accident unfold can be beneficial to your claim. Our attorneys can interview eyewitnesses whose testimony can help prove the fault of a negligent construction company in Pennsylvania.
Call Our Lawyers if You Were Hurt in a Construction Site Accident as a Bystander in Pennsylvania
For the attorneys at The Reiff Law Firm to discuss your case in a free and confidential manner, call our Pennsylvania construction fall injury lawyers today at (215) 709-6940.
