Hurt on a job site? Workers' comp may not be the whole story.
Construction sites have many companies working at once: general contractors, subcontractors, equipment owners, property owners. When one of them caused your injury, you may have a claim that goes beyond workers' comp. Talal Perez Ghosheh finds out who.
How people get hurt on commercial sites
Each type of accident points to different evidence and, often, a different responsible company.
Falls from heights
Scaffolds, ladders, roofs, floor openings and missing guardrails.
Read more →HAZARD 02Cranes & heavy equipment
Crane failures, backing equipment, forklifts and excavators.
Read more →HAZARD 03Struck by objects
Falling tools and materials, swinging loads, collapsing walls.
Read more →HAZARD 04Electrocution & burns
Power lines, faulty wiring, explosions and fires.
Read more →HAZARD 05Bystanders & work zones
Pedestrians and drivers hurt by construction they weren't part of.
Read more →HAZARD 06Beyond workers' comp
When someone other than your employer caused the injury.
Read more →More than one company can be responsible
Your own employer is usually covered only by workers' comp. Other companies on site are not.
General contractor
Runs the site and site safety. In some situations a GC is treated like your employer under the law, so it depends.
Other subcontractors
Another crew's careless work can injure you: a dropped load, an open hole, a bad scaffold.
Equipment makers
A defective lift, saw, harness or scaffold part can lead to a product claim.
Property owner
Owners can be responsible for hidden hazards they knew about.
Protect the evidence
- Report the injury to your supervisor, in writing if you can.
- Photograph the area: the scaffold, the hole, the equipment, the missing guardrail.
- Write down which companies were working nearby, and their names on trucks or signs.
- Get names and numbers of coworkers who saw it.
- Don't sign statements from any insurance company before you talk to a lawyer.
Talal Perez Ghosheh
Georgia personal injury lawyer since 2009 and founder of GHOSHEH LAW FIRM LLC, with an office in Lawrenceville. You work directly with the lawyer, in English or Spanish.
Read our Google reviews →Questions we hear
Can I sue my employer for a construction injury?
Usually not. In Georgia, workers' comp is generally the only remedy against your own employer. But other companies on site may be responsible in a separate claim.
Do OSHA violations prove my case?
Not by themselves, but safety rules can help show what a company should have done. Inspection reports and citations can be strong evidence.
I wasn't a worker. I was walking by. Can I make a claim?
Yes. If you were hurt by construction work as a pedestrian, driver or visitor, the companies doing the work may be responsible.
How long do I have?
In Georgia, generally two years for personal injury. Product claims can have other deadlines too. Call early: sites get cleaned up fast.
Hurt on a job site?
Free case review with Talal Perez Ghosheh. English or Spanish.