Each municipality has volumes of building codes designed to ensure the safety of workers during construction, as well as occupants and the general public upon completion of construction. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and other Georgia and federal agencies also regulate and enforce workplace and construction site safety.
These building codes offer a guideline to determine the culpability of the various parties involved in a construction project. Building code violations are strong evidence of a contractor’s negligence. However, a contractor may still be liable for an accident that occurred despite being compliant.
The Gumprecht Law Firm is well versed in the building codes that affect your claim. We investigate your accident to determine which parties violated the building codes and how this might have contributed to your injuries. We then file lawsuits against the negligent parties for your maximum possible damages.
An aggressive outcome-oriented approach earned Attorney Michael Gumprecht membership in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum and listing as a National Academy of Personal Injury Attorneys Top 10 Under 40. We use that same approach to help you recover compensation and obtain justice.
Dos and Don’ts After a Building Code Failure
If you were injured on the job, do call an experienced Georgia construction accident attorney right away. The company responsible for your injuries may “repair” the problem as quickly as possible, in essence, destroying important evidence that could help your case. Our lawyer files an emergency motion that prevents evidence from being altered and relevant electronic data from being deleted.
Do not talk to company representatives or their lawyers. These potentially liable parties are trained to coerce a harmful statement from you and may take your words out of context to discredit you or deflect blame for the accident onto you. You may be required to talk to your employer as part of your workers’ compensation claim. Our lawyer can advise you on preserving your rights while abiding by workers’ compensation procedures.
How Georgia Workers’ Compensation Laws Affect Your Rights
Georgia workers’ compensation laws provide crucial protection of workers who are injured on the job. You receive immediate medical treatment for your injuries and are entitled to medical benefits and a percentage of your earnings without having to prove your employer did anything wrong. In return for this no-fault type of insurance, you are barred from suing your employer if their negligence contributed to your accident.
However, do not assume that the legal bar applies to all parties. On the contrary, you may have a strong case for negligence against another contractor with which you are not employed. Although this concept applies to all workplace injuries, it is particularly relevant to construction projects, which typically involve numerous contractors, subcontractors, material suppliers, equipment vendors and trade professionals.
Knowing you have this right is extremely important. The workers’ compensation program acts as a short-term safety net, but these benefits do not cover your full damages. A lawsuit against a negligent corporation may be the only way to be compensated for severe injuries, such as brain damage, spinal cord damage, amputation, compound fractures, electrocution, crushed fingers and hands, loss of eyesight or hearing, third degree burns or organ damage caused by toxic fume inhalation.
Discuss Your Claim With a Georgia Construction Accident Attorney Who Is Available 24/7
You may have a strong civil claim if building code violations caused an accident that injured you. Call 678-800-1050 for a free initial consultation with a Georgia construction accident attorney at The Gumprecht Law Firm. You can talk to our attorney 24/7. Under our contingency fee policy, you do not pay lawyers’ fees unless you recover damages.
