Have you been injured on a construction site in Shreveport, Louisiana? Desiah Injury Lawyers can help you understand your legal options after a serious workplace accident. Call (504) 553-3047 today to schedule a free consultation with our Shreveport construction accident lawyer and learn whether you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, a third-party personal injury claim, or both.
Construction accidents can leave workers facing serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about the future. Attorney Travis Desiah can evaluate your case, explain your legal options, and help you pursue the full compensation available under the law.
Why Choose Desiah Injury Lawyers After a Shreveport Construction Accident?
The company that signs your paycheck may not be the only party involved in your construction accident claim. A general contractor, subcontractor, or other party may have played a role in causing your injuries. That matters because a third-party injury claim may allow you to pursue broader damages than a workers’ compensation claim. Desiah Injury Lawyers can help.
Clients in Shreveport, LA, choose the firm because:
- Our Shreveport personal injury lawyer has extensive experience representing injured workers in serious accident cases throughout Louisiana
- We provide personalized client service that makes you feel like a priority during a chaotic time
- We fight for compensation that reflects the full impact of the injury, beyond mere workers’ compensation benefits
- We handle personal injury cases on a contingency fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you
Contact the firm today to schedule a free case review with our experienced Shreveport personal injury attorney.
How Much Is My Shreveport Construction Accident Claim Worth?
The value of a construction accident claim depends on the facts of the case and the type of claim available. Some injured workers are limited to workers’ compensation benefits. Others may also have a third-party personal injury claim against a negligent contractor, property owner, manufacturer, or another responsible party.
Workers’ compensation may cover certain medical bills and a portion of lost wages. However, it generally does not provide full compensation for pain and suffering. A third-party claim may allow recovery for broader damages.
Factors that may affect the value of your case include:
- The severity of your injuries
- The cost of past and future medical care
- Whether you can return to construction work
- Lost wages during recovery
- Reduced future earning capacity
- Permanent disability or physical limitations
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
- The strength of the evidence
- Whether multiple parties share fault
- Available insurance coverage
A fair claim should account for what the injury has taken from you financially, physically, and personally. An experienced attorney can help you understand what your claim may be worth.
When Can You File a Third-Party Claim After a Construction Accident?
A third-party claim may be available when someone other than your employer caused or contributed to the accident. Construction projects often involve many companies working in the same space. Each company may have its own employees, safety rules, and insurance coverage.
Potential third parties may include:
- General contractors
- Subcontractors
- Property owners
- Developers
- Architects or engineers
- Equipment manufacturers
- Tool manufacturers
- Equipment rental companies
- Trucking companies
- Delivery companies
- Maintenance contractors
- Safety consultants
- Utility companies
For example, you may have a third-party claim if a subcontractor created an unsafe condition, a property owner failed to warn about a hazard, a delivery driver struck you on the jobsite, or defective equipment caused the accident.
An attorney can investigate the full chain of events and determine whether someone outside your employer should be held responsible.
What Compensation Can You Recover After a Shreveport Construction Accident?
The compensation available after a construction accident depends on whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party claim, or both.
A third-party personal injury claim may allow you to pursue additional compensation for the full harm caused by the accident.
Compensation may include:
- Emergency medical care
- Hospital bills
- Surgery
- Physical therapy
- Prescription medication
- Medical equipment
- Future medical treatment
- Lost wages
- Reduced future earning ability
- Loss of benefits
- Permanent disability
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Scarring or disfigurement
- Loss of mobility
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Wrongful death damages
The difference between workers’ compensation and a third-party claim can be significant. Workers’ compensation benefits are often limited. A third-party claim may allow recovery of your pain, suffering, future limitations, and personal losses.
Desiah Injury Lawyers can evaluate every available claim and fight to recover the maximum compensation available under Louisiana law.
We’ll Seek Compensation for All Your Construction Accident Injuries
Construction accidents often cause severe injuries because of the heights and heavy materials involved. Desiah Injury Lawyers represents construction accident victims with injuries such as:
- Broken bones
- Crush injuries
- Amputations
- Severe burns
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Concussions
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck and back injuries
- Herniated discs
- Electrical injuries
- Eye injuries
- Knee and shoulder injuries
- Nerve damage
- Internal bleeding
- Organ damage
- Toxic exposure injuries
- Permanent disability
- Wrongful death
These injuries can affect every part of your life. You may be unable to return to the same construction job, especially if the injury limits your mobility. A personal injury claim is designed to account for such losses.
What Causes Construction Accidents in Shreveport?
Most construction accidents are preventable. They happen when companies cut corners, ignore safety rules, fail to train workers, or allow dangerous conditions to remain on the jobsite.
Common causes of construction accidents include:
- Falls from elevated surfaces
- Falling tools
- Unsafe trenching or excavation
- Heavy equipment accidents
- Electrocution
- Defective tools or machinery
- Fires and explosions
- Chemical exposure
- Inadequate training
- Lack of supervision
- Failure to follow safety procedures
Many construction accidents involve more than one failure. Identifying the cause of the accident helps determine who can be held responsible, including parties other than your employer. Desiah Injury Lawyers can investigate your accident and determine whether a third-party claim is available.
How Does Comparative Fault Affect a Construction Accident Claim in Louisiana?
Workers’ compensation is generally a no-fault system. That means you may be able to receive workers’ compensation benefits even if your employer or insurance company claims you made a mistake.
Third-party personal injury claims are different. Louisiana follows a modified comparative fault system. This means your compensation may be reduced if you are found partly responsible for the accident.
For example, if your damages are valued at $500,000 but you are found 20% at fault, your recovery may be reduced to $400,000. If you share more than 50% of the fault, however, you will be unable to recover any compensation.
What Should You Do After a Construction Accident in Shreveport?
The steps you take after a construction accident can affect your health, your workers’ compensation claim, and any third-party lawsuit. That’s why taking the right ones is of the utmost importance.
After an accident, you should:
- Get medical treatment immediately
- Report the accident to your employer as soon as possible
- Ask for a copy of any incident report
- Take photos of the accident scene if you can safely do so
- Photograph your injuries
- Get names and contact information for witnesses
- Keep damaged tools, clothing, or safety equipment
- Write down what happened while the details are fresh
- Follow your doctor’s instructions
- Keep copies of medical records, work notes, and bills
- Avoid giving recorded statements without legal advice
- Speak with a construction accident lawyer
You should also contact an experienced injury lawyer for help understanding your options. A lawyer can help protect your rights and make sure important evidence is preserved before the jobsite changes.
How Long Do You Have To File a Construction Accident Claim in Louisiana?
Different deadlines may apply depending on the type of construction accident claim. For workers’ compensation, you should report the injury to your employer as soon as possible. Workers’ compensation cases also involve specific filing deadlines.
For a third-party personal injury lawsuit, Louisiana generally gives injured people two years from the date of injury to file a lawsuit. If you miss the deadline, you may lose your right to recover compensation in court.
Shorter deadlines may apply in certain cases. That is why it is important to speak with a lawyer as soon as possible.
How Much Does It Cost To Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer?
Most construction accident lawyers handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis. That means you do not pay upfront attorney fees to start your case. You also do not pay hourly fees while the case is pending.
Instead, your lawyer’s fee is taken from the compensation recovered for you through a settlement or verdict. If no compensation is recovered, you generally do not owe attorney fees.
This arrangement allows injured workers and families to hire legal help without adding more financial pressure during recovery. Desiah Injury Lawyers offers free consultations so you can learn more about your rights before deciding what to do next.
Contact a Shreveport Construction Accident Lawyer Today
A serious construction accident in Shreveport, Louisiana, is not just “part of the job.” You may have more than one path to compensation for your injuries, including workers’ compensation benefits and a third-party injury claim.
Desiah Injury Lawyers can help you understand your options and pursue the full compensation available under Louisiana law. Contact us today to schedule a free consultation with a Shreveport construction accident attorney.
