Fort Wayne Construction Accident Lawyers

Fort Wayne is virtually unthinkable without the efforts of the construction industry, which helped make the city what it is today. And with $135 million recently designated for infrastructure improvement, a major construction project is either currently underway or about to break ground in Fort Wayne at any moment.

But as essential as construction is to the Fort Wayne area, construction workers still toil under some of the most treacherous conditions in Indiana’s private employment sector, with 21 construction deaths and many more construction-related injuries across the state in 2021 alone. A single mistake on a construction site can be all it takes to inflict grievous bodily harm.

A serious construction accident could necessitate extensive medical treatment that could stretch the pocketbooks of most Fort Wayne families. In the face of these challenges, they often decide to reach out to the Fort Wayne construction accident lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, where we have been fighting for injured Hoosiers for over a quarter century.

If you have been hurt on a construction site, please call or text us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form for a free consultation with one of our accomplished Fort Wayne construction accident attorneys.

Who Can Be Injured in a Fort Wayne Construction Accident?

Though construction workers sustain most construction site injuries, anyone could be injured in a Fort Wayne construction accident because of the impact that these massive undertakings can have on their surroundings.

A poorly executed construction project could damage nearby buildings, start a fire, trigger an explosion, or release poisonous chemicals into the atmosphere. Unsecured debris could also fall from high-rises or construction vehicles onto pedestrians and bystanders, severely hurting or even killing them.

But whether you were working on a building under construction or merely in the vicinity when something went terribly wrong, our Fort Wayne construction accident lawyers will be ready to analyze what occurred and arrive at the wisest course of action if you are contemplating a case.

Why Do Construction Accidents Happen?

The first step in putting together any construction accident case is finding out why the construction accident happened. The answer is not always obvious, though there are some fact patterns that are frequently associated with construction accidents. For instance, more than fifty percent of construction casualties are the result of:

Falling – Over a third of construction workers who die on the job do so after falling from significant heights.

Blows from Objects – Approximately 11.1 percent of deadly construction accidents involve a blow from an object.

Electrocution – Around 8.5 percent of deceased workers are electrocuted.

Being Caught In or Between – Crush accidents, in which someone is caught in or between opposing forces, make up 5.5 percent of construction fatalities.

Construction injuries may be further caused by:

Crane, forklift, and other construction vehicle accidents

Collapsing buildings and scaffolds

Gas leaks and chemical spills

Fires and explosions

Malfunctioning equipment

Cave-ins

And though people could be injured anywhere, certain hazards that may be unique to construction sites could increase the likelihood of an accident in those settings. These hazards could include:

Lack of fall prevention measures

Inadequate overhead shielding

Open trenches

Obstructed walkways

Exposed power sources

Broken tools and equipment

These and other conditions could be indicators of negligence, which you may need to prove for a construction accident case to withstand scrutiny. Fortunately, Hensley’s Fort Wayne construction accident attorneys are highly proficient at uncovering negligence by those who might be liable.

Who Is Liable for a Construction Accident?

But exactly who is liable for a construction accident? That can be tough to know up front because of how many parties could be involved. A construction project is an elaborate endeavor carried out by scores of professionals working simultaneously to achieve a larger goal, and even the slightest miscalculation could put lives at risk.

Given what is at stake, the State of Indiana demands that all projects undergo intense scrutiny by the Construction Safety Division of the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration, which is tasked with construction worker advocacy. Any project hoping to pass inspection must:

Evaluate job sites for possible dangers.

Institute detailed safety procedures.

Educate workers on correct tool and machinery usage.

Distribute proper protective equipment to curb on-site accidents and falls.

Any individuals and entities who ignore obligations to implement sufficient safeguards to avert worker injuries could be held to account, as could anyone who directly injures workers. As such, the list of defendants for a construction accident case could be quite substantial, potentially including the property owner and/or developer, the general contractor overseeing construction, any contractors hired by the general contractor, and any subcontractors hired by them.

But no matter who is ultimately to blame, our Fort Wayne construction accident lawyers have the deep familiarity with all federal and state construction laws and regulations and standard practices required to identify and establish a valid case against all of them.

What to Do After a Fort Wayne Construction Accident

To better protect that case, there are steps that you should take in the immediate aftermath of a Fort Wayne construction accident. Specifically, you should remember to:

Report the accident – Inform your employer, foreman, or supervisor about the accident promptly, since uncertainty about its timing could impede your claim.

Seek medical attention – Similarly, delays in care could hinder the recovery process and cast doubt on the causal relationship between the construction accident and your injuries, so seek medical attention right away.

Obtain witness information – Eyewitnesses could provide independent confirmation of the circumstances leading up to your injury.

Take pictures and shoot videos – If you have your phone with you, take pictures and shoot videos of your damages and any defects that contributed to the accident before they can be remedied, since sudden change is the norm on construction sites.

Stay away from the insurance company – Insurance company representatives may attempt to get in touch, though it might be a good idea to stay away from them in order to avoid saying something that might undermine your claim, at least until you…

Talk to an attorney – A seasoned Fort Wayne construction accident lawyer can discuss what took place and determine the best way to proceed with your case.

How Our Fort Wayne Construction Accident Attorneys Can Make a Difference

A construction accident can be cataclysmic, very quickly making it hard to make ends meet, much less acquire the funds to stave off ruin. Moreover, a savvy insurance adjuster may try to take advantage of the inherent complexity of construction accident litigation to settle your claim for pennies on the dollar or deny it entirely.

You need lawyers with the compassion to support you during this difficult period and the skill to guide you through it – like the Fort Wayne construction accident attorneys at Hensley Legal Group.

If you hire Hensley, we will launch a comprehensive investigation into your construction accident and everyone who might be responsible for it within the time allotted by law, acting swiftly to amass the evidence necessary to assemble your claim.

We will then work tirelessly to get you compensated for ALL of your losses, including your:

Medical bills

Lost income

Pain and suffering

Mental and emotional trauma

Mobility restrictions

Diminished quality of life

Loss of consortium

Punitive and wrongful death damages (if applicable)

And unlike some of our competitors, who rarely, if ever, venture into a courtroom, we are more than willing to take your case to trial if we do not receive an offer that reflects its true worth.

We realize you may be worried about agreeing to expenditures that you may be unable to afford, but you should know that our firm works on a contingency basis. This means that you will not have to pay us anything until our Fort Wayne construction accident attorneys win your case.

It may seem like everything you relied on has crumbled around you, but you can rely on us to build it back up again.

Fort Wayne Construction Accident Lawyers Eager to Get You Justice

Hensley Legal Group has been standing up for the innocent victims of negligence since 1998. If you have been hurt through no fault of your own, our Fort Wayne personal injury lawyers are eager to get you justice.

You can arrange a complementary case review with a dedicated Fort Wayne construction accident attorney by calling or texting us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.