Chattanooga Construction Accident Attorneys
Strong advocacy for workers injured while doing roadway, building, or other types of construction work
The construction site is often a far riskier workplace than almost any other. Common dangers include heavy equipment, unstable structures, vehicles, power lines, and physical labor. If you or a family member has become the victim of a devastating construction site accident, you may be eligible for workers’ compensation or a third-party personal injury lawsuit.
At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we understand when and how you can file a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury lawsuit. Our lawyers pursue compensation for medical bills and other damages you may be able to recover, depending on your employment status and who caused your injuries.
We’ve been fighting for accident victims for over 80 years. Call us now to assert your right to compensation.
How can we help?
- Where do construction accidents happen in Chattanooga?
- What causes Chattanooga construction site accidents?
- Why is construction work dangerous?
- What types of injuries occur on Chattanooga construction sites?
- How does my job status affect whether I file a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim?
- How can your Chattanooga work injury lawyers help me?
- FAQs
- Do you have a Chattanooga construction accident lawyer near me?
Where do construction accidents happen in Chattanooga?
Construction continually takes place throughout Chattanooga. Construction work includes raising new buildings, tearing down old buildings, landscaping, telecommunications construction, sewer work, and many other types of construction. Roadwork regularly takes place on all US, state, and local roads, including I-75, I-24, US-41, US-27, Baker Street, North Avenue, South Avenue, and many other Chattanooga roads.
What causes Chattanooga construction accidents?
In many cases, conditions leading up to the injury can be traced back to weak hiring practices, poorly maintained equipment, OSHA violations, and other negligent practices.
Common causes of construction accidents, according to OSHA, include:
- Falling equipment or debris
- Equipment malfunction injuries
- Defective equipment injuries
- Safety code violations
- Explosions
- Collapsed structures
- Equipment misuse
Some of the leading OSHA safety code violations in the construction industry that were cited in 2024 (October 1, 2023, through September 30, 2024) included:
- Ladders
- Fall protection training
- Scaffolding
- Eye and face protection
Why is construction work dangerous?
The dangers of construction accidents vary depending on the type of construction.
Work zone construction
Road construction work is especially dangerous because workers who are struck by a car or truck are likely to suffer catastrophic injuries or fatalities. A human body is simply no match for a motorized vehicle.
Work zone jobs include road construction, landscaping, bridge work, installing sewer lines, or any other type of work where vehicles are nearby.
Construction company owners and other construction businesses should direct traffic away from the construction site, provide quality lighting for workers who work at night, and comply with any local or federal regulations.
Other types of construction work
Some of the many other types of construction that may cause injuries include:
- Residential construction
- Commercial construction
- Industrial construction
- Mixed-use construction
Some of the dangers at these types of construction jobs, according to OSHA, include:
- Falls from heights
- Struck-by incidents (falling objects, machines, or vehicles, often due to unsecured materials or poor visibility)
- Electrocution (live wires, faulty grounding, or faulty equipment)
- Caught-in/between hazards (equipment, machines, or materials)
- Hazardous materials (toxic, chemical, or flammable)
- Respiratory hazards (dust, gases, vapors, or fumes)
- Ergonomic hazards (repetitive motions, excessive lifting, or awkward positions)
- Weather-related hazards
- Slips, trips, and falls (at ground level)
What types of injuries occur on Chattanooga construction sites?
Construction workers face particularly dangerous conditions, including vehicle traffic, elevated workspaces, heavy equipment, moving objects and obstacles, and unstable structures. On a job, you could fall from a steep height, be crushed by heavy machinery, or even be impaled.
We handle many types of construction accident injuries, including:
- Chemical, electrical, or fire-related burn injuries
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Spinal cord injuries
- Traumatic amputations
- Electrocutions
- Crush injuries
- Soft tissue injuries
- Back, neck, and shoulder injuries
- Knee and ankle injuries
- All other types of serious injuries
Any of these injuries can be severe, causing construction workers to need long-term medical care, the inability to work temporarily or permanently, and substantial pain and suffering.
How does my job status affect whether I file a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim?
Your right to file a workers’ compensation or a personal injury lawsuit depends on your job status and who you’re working for. Generally, your job status depends on whether your employer (or the company you work for) controls when, where, and how you do your job.
- You’re likely an employee if you work for the same company all the time, they give you the tools you need, they pay you with a W-2, and they control your hours of work.
- You’re likely an independent contractor if you work for different companies, you provide your own tools, you receive a 1099, and you control your hours of work.
What workers’ compensation benefits can construction workers receive?
Our Chattanooga construction accident lawyers file workers’ compensation claims when a construction employee is injured while doing his or her job or the employee suffers an occupational illness.
You don’t need to prove your employer was negligent in a workers’ compensation claim. You can likely file a workers’ compensation claim even if you were negligent, provided your conduct wasn’t intentional.
You must promptly notify your employer of the accident.
Workers’ compensation benefits in Tennessee include:
- Payment for authorized, reasonable, and necessary medical treatment related to your compensable work injury. Generally, you must select your physician from a panel of doctors provided by your employer.
- Temporary disability benefits (about 2/3 of your average weekly wages before the accident).
- Permanent disability benefits depend on the seriousness of your injuries.
- Death benefits may also be available if a loved one dies.
- Incidental benefits, such as travel expenses if your authorized medical provider is more than 15 miles away.
What personal injury benefits can construction workers receive?
If you are an independent contractor, you may be able to file a personal injury claim against the hiring company; however, in some situations, Tennessee law may treat a general contractor as a 'statutory employer,' which could limit your recovery to workers’ compensation benefits, depending on the specific working relationship.
Both employees and independent contractors can file personal injury claims against third parties such as the manufacturers of defective equipment or tools.
Personal injury benefits in Tennessee include:
- Recovery for reasonable and necessary medical expenses (subject to proof, liability, and any applicable comparative fault)
- All your lost income (wages, benefits, and any other income) for the time you are unable to work, as supported by evidence
- Your daily physical pain and emotional suffering
- Any property damage
- Loss of bodily function
- Loss of life’s pleasures
- Scarring and disfigurement
- Loss of consortium (enjoyment of marital relations)
If a loved one dies, the family can seek wrongful death damages. These damages include:
- The funeral and burial costs
- Any outstanding medical expenses
- The loss of financial support
- The loss of love, guidance, comfort, companionship, and other personal support
According to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics data, over 1,000 construction and extraction workers lose their lives annually due to workplace hazards.
How can your Chattanooga work injury lawyers help me?
At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we can help construction workers in the following ways, among others:
- Determining your job status.
- Representing construction victims against many different defendants, including contractors, owners, managers, architects, construction product manufacturers, and other personnel.
- Reviewing the full range of medical care you need for ER care, hospitalizations, surgeries, rehabilitative care, psychological counseling, assistive devices, and medications.
- Verifying your lost income.
- Showing, in personal injury cases, all the ways your injuries are affecting every phase of your life.
- Verifying all the other damages you deserve, depending on whether you have a workers’ compensation claim or a personal injury claim.
- Handling death benefits or wrongful death claims.
We can work with your doctors and our network of doctors when necessary. We can also work with your employers and, in some cases, financial experts. Our team may hire investigators, traffic reconstruction experts, product safety experts, and other professionals.
We can prepare the appropriate legal action in the appropriate court and guide you through each step of your claim.
At Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers, we can explain your options and help you find a path forward regardless of how or where you were injured. We can also assist you if your claim has been delayed or denied.
FAQs
What steps should I take after a Chattanooga construction accident?
Some of the key steps you should take after any construction accident include the following:
- Seek immediate medical attention
- Contact the police if the accident is a motor vehicle accident
- Contact our experienced workers’ compensation lawyers as soon as possible
How much time do I have to file my Tennessee construction accident claim?
Please contact us as soon as possible so we can explain which deadline applies to your claim.
- Workers’ compensation timelines
- Employees should notify their employer immediately, but no later than 15 days after the accident occurs, unless the employer already has actual knowledge or there is a reasonable excuse for delay (TN Code § 50-6-201).
- You must file a Petition for Benefit Determination with the Tennessee Bureau of Workers’ Compensation, though this deadline may be extended based on the last authorized treatment or benefit payment (Tenn. Code Ann. § 50-6-203).
- Personal injury timelines
- You must file a personal injury or wrongful death claim within one year of the date of the injury or the date of death (Tenn. Code Ann. § 28-3-104).
How can construction companies prevent construction accidents?
A construction business may be liable, in personal injury cases, for failing to:
- Properly plan and design the construction site
- Inspect and monitor the construction site
- Train the workers
- Ensure open communication
- Plan for emergencies
Do you have a Chattanooga construction accident lawyer near me?
Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers meets injured or ill construction workers at our Chattanooga office located at 701 Market Street, Suite 310. We can meet severely injured and severely ill workers away from our office or by video conference when necessary. We can explain what type of claim you can file, the timeline for filing the claim, and what you can expect during the litigation process.
Contact our Chattanooga construction accident lawyers now.
When you need an advocate to guard your rights, trust the Chattanooga construction accident lawyers at Wagner Workers Compensation & Personal Injury Lawyers. Our law firm has been guiding our neighbors through difficult times since 1945.
Please contact us now or call us to schedule a free consultation. We work with injured workers in Chattanooga and all the surrounding Tennessee regions.