Were you involved in a construction accident in El Segundo, California? Call J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers for a free consultation at (323) 284-2834. Our award-winning El Segundo construction accident lawyers can help you evaluate your legal options, including the possibility of filing a lawsuit for maximum compensation.
We’re a top-rated personal injury law firm in El Segundo. To date, we’ve recovered tens of millions on behalf of our clients across more than 20 years of combined experience. We’ll do everything we can to increase the value of your claim if you hire us to represent you.
Why Choose J. Hartley Law for Help After a Construction Accident in El Segundo, CA?
While workers’ compensation is likely available to you after a construction accident if you were injured on the job, you might also be able to file a personal injury lawsuit for a complete financial recovery. In these circumstances, you need an El Segundo personal injury lawyer on your side who can help you thoroughly investigate your case and follow through with your best course of action.
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is well-qualified to help you every step of the way. Clients continue to choose us for help because:
- We’ve won multiple seven-figure recoveries for accident victims in the area
- Our lawyers, led by Attorney Jura Hartley, have two decades of combined experience handling complicated injury cases like these
- We’ve received recognition from the Multi-Million Dollar Advocates Forum and were among the Top 100 Jury Verdicts in 2024 for Los Angeles County, just to name a couple of our many accolades
- We prepare every case with trial in mind and won’t hesitate to go to court for you if necessary
Contact our El Segundo construction accident attorneys today for a free consultation. We’ll be able to answer any questions you might have when we meet to review your case.
Workers’ Compensation Claims for Construction Accidents in California
California law requires virtually all employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance, and the construction industry is no exception. If you were injured while working on a construction site in El Segundo, you can almost certainly file a workers’ comp claim for benefits regardless of who was at fault for the accident.
The types of workers’ comp benefits available to injured construction workers include:
- Medical treatment for your work-related injuries
- Temporary disability payments if you’re unable to work while recovering
- Permanent disability benefits if you suffer a lasting impairment
- Supplemental job displacement benefits if you can’t return to your previous position
- Death benefits for surviving family members in fatal construction accidents
These benefits can cover a lot of ground, but they also have limits. For example, workers’ comp won’t compensate you for pain and suffering, and the wage replacement benefits only cover a portion of your actual income. That’s why exploring any additional legal avenues is a step worth taking.
Third-Party Personal Injury Lawsuits
While you typically can’t file a lawsuit against your own employer if they carry workers’ comp insurance, California law does allow you to file a personal injury claim against a negligent third party. On a busy construction site in El Segundo, there are often several parties involved beyond your direct employer; any one of them could be responsible for what happened.
Situations that commonly give rise to third-party construction accident lawsuits include:
- A general contractor failed to maintain safe conditions on the site
- A subcontractor’s carelessness created a hazard that injured you
- You were involved in a car accident or truck accident while working
- A property owner knew about a dangerous condition and didn’t address it
- A manufacturer sold defective equipment
- An engineer’s flawed design contributed to a structural failure
Pursuing a third-party claim on top of your workers’ comp benefits can significantly increase your total recovery. Our construction accident lawyers can evaluate your case and determine whether this option applies to your situation.
What if I’m Being Blamed for My El Segundo Construction Accident?
California follows a pure comparative negligence standard. This means you can still recover compensation even if you were partially at fault for the accident. There’s no threshold that bars you from filing a claim, no matter how much responsibility is assigned to you. Your damages are simply reduced by your percentage of fault.
So if your total damages come to $600,000 and you’re found to be 25% responsible, your recovery would be $450,000. Even someone who’s 80% at fault can still collect 20% of their damages under this system.
Note that this law applies only to personal injury lawsuits, not to workers’ compensation. Workers’ comp is generally a no-fault system with only rare exceptions, like if you injure yourself on purpose.
What Damages Are Available to Construction Accident Victims in El Segundo, CA?
Through a lawsuit against a liable third party, you can recover both economic and non-economic damages for your construction accident injuries.
Economic damages in a personal injury claim cover your financial losses, including:
- Medical bills
- Future treatment costs
- Lost wages during your recovery
- Diminished earning capacity
- Rehabilitation and long-term care expenses
- Out-of-pocket costs
Non-economic damages compensate you for the personal toll of the accident, such as:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Trauma and mental anguish
- Loss of companionship
In rare cases, punitive damages may be available if the at-fault party’s conduct was especially reckless or intentional. These damages are not meant to compensate you for a specific loss, but rather to punish wrongful behavior and discourage similar actions in the future.
Punitive damages are less common than other types of compensation and are typically awarded only when there is clear evidence of serious misconduct. Your attorney can evaluate whether this type of recovery may apply to your case.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer in El Segundo, CA?
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers handles construction accident cases on a contingency fee basis. This means that instead of paying us upfront or by the hour, you only pay us attorney’s fees if we recover compensation for you at the conclusion of your case.
In most cases, we will receive a portion of the jury verdict or settlement we recover for you as payment for our work. The percentage can vary depending on the facts of your case, but we’ll sit down and sign an agreement so that you’ll know what to expect.
This arrangement exists so that injured workers can access quality legal representation without worrying about whether they can afford it. It also means we have a direct stake in the outcome. The better we do for you, the better we do for ourselves, so our interests are aligned from the start.
Common Causes of Construction Accidents in El Segundo, CA
OSHA identifies what it calls the “Fatal Four” causes of death in the construction industry: falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. Together, these account for the majority of construction worker fatalities each year. However, the full range of hazards on a job site extends well beyond those four categories.
Some of the most common causes of construction accidents our attorneys handle include:
- Falls from heights
- Being struck by falling objects
- Electrocutions from things like exposed wiring
- Getting caught in or between heavy machinery
- Trench collapses and excavation cave-ins
- Crane and hoist malfunctions
- Forklift accidents
- Exposure to toxic chemicals or hazardous substances
- Fires and explosions on the job site
- Defective power tools and equipment
- Inadequate safety training or lack of protective gear
Many of these accidents are preventable at the end of the day. If you were involved in an accident on an El Segundo construction site, we’re here to help you take action.
How Long Do I Have to File a Construction Accident Claim in California?
The timeline depends on which type of claim you’re pursuing. For workers’ compensation, you must report your injury to your employer within 30 days of the accident. From there, you generally have one year from the date of injury to file a formal workers’ comp claim with the state.
For third-party personal injury lawsuits, California’s statute of limitations gives you two years from the date of the accident to file. Missing either of these deadlines can cost you your right to pursue compensation, so acting quickly is important. The best way to confirm the time limit for your case is to reach out to our legal team for help as soon as you can.
Call Our El Segundo Construction Accident Attorneys for a Free Consultation
A construction accident can take away your ability to work and leave you dealing with pain that may never fully go away. If this has happened to you in El Segundo, CA, you deserve as much compensation as possible under the law.
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers is here to help you make the most of your ability to take legal action. With 20 years of combined experience and tens of millions recovered, our El Segundo construction accident lawyers know how to handle these cases the right way. Contact us today to schedule your free consultation.
Visit Our Personal Injury Law Firm Located in El Segundo, CA
J. Hartley Law Personal Injury Lawyers
880 Apollo St, El Segundo, CA 90245
(323) 284-2834