Los Angeles Subcontractor Construction Site Injury Attorney

As of the 1st quarter of 2024, there were approximately 95,000 construction businesses licensed and in operation here in the State of California. The California Contractors State License Board reported more than 285,000 licenses issued in various classifications, which include sole proprietors. These two figures make the State of California the largest in the nation for this type of business. When you consider the relationship between general contractors and subcontractors, how things get built and the challenges that may be experienced, and how the employees fare when they get injured on the job, it highlights the importance of worker’s compensation insurance and the benefits available for worker’s in California.

When you consider the environment around construction projects, the majority of the actual work is primarily physical skilled labor, and the need for equipment to be used to complete the job, there is a big chance for accidents and injuries to people. These will be strains and sprains most frequently, but they can be much more serious. If you need to speak with a Los Angeles subcontractor construction site injury attorney, please get in touch with the Normandie Law Firm. We are a highly experienced legal team when it comes to the subcontractor business and worker’s compensation in the State of California.

If you are working as a subcontractor on a construction site in any trade at all, your opportunity to get hurt is there. If you are injured at work, we want you to know that our legal staff at Normandie Law Firm is ready and able to assist you with your worker’s compensation claim questions. Our staff is prepared to take your call no matter when you call us. Our mission is to get you the information you need when you need it the most. When you call the Normandie Law Firm, we will provide you with the answers to all your questions. If that first call doesn’t answer every question you have, our next step will be to schedule a free initial consultation for you with one of our Los Angeles subcontractor construction site injury attorneys as soon as you have the availability to meet.

In our first meeting, we will be asking you to share the facts about your injury and what caused it, including the parts that led up to the accident, the injury details, the diagnosis, and any other information you have regarding the circumstances. One primary goal in that meeting is assessing who might be ultimately responsible for the accident. Your company is going to be responsible for providing worker’s compensation insurance, but if there are any third-party organizations that may be involved, then we need to understand that. We will cover the questions on liability and responsibility as they may apply to the resolution process for your injuries.

We will take all of the information from that discussion and work on explaining to you how the worker’s compensation program in the State of California is going to address your needs. Worker’s comp is going to help you get the medical bills and some of your lost income covered if you miss work because of your injuries. A critical detail about worker’s compensation that we need you to know on the very first day is about the limited amount of time you have to get a claim filed with worker’s compensation in the State of California.

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The Time Limit Restriction For Filing A Worker’s Compensation Claim in California
The time limit to file a claim with the worker’s compensation insurance program is 30 days, and the time limit starts on the date of your accident. This is why it’s critical to seek care if you are hurt. Please do not wait. If you need assistance in opening your claim, or your employer attempts to stop you from using the worker’s comp system and its benefits, do not wait to call the Normandie Law Firm to get us involved before your 30-day limit expires. If you wait longer than 30 days, your claim is going to be denied. This is a rule that is strictly enforced, and there are some rare exceptions to that time limit. The biggest one we want you to know about is for injuries as a result of what is called cumulative trauma.

Cumulative Trauma Injuries And Worker’s Compensation
Cumulative trauma is a combined number of events occurring over an extended time period that result in a treatable injury. Most of the time, these are repetitive actions that individually aren’t causing injury, but over time, add up to a strain or pain that becomes unbearable. When you are diagnosed with a cumulative trauma injury, you can file a claim under worker’s compensation even though it didn’t just occur. The time limit to file a claim with worker’s compensation in the State of California for a diagnosed cumulative trauma injury is 1 year, and it begins on the date of the first day of work you missed to seek treatment for your pain.

What Are The Common Injuries And Workplace Hazards In Construction?
Most job roles have some common injuries that can be caused by the work you perform and the environment in which you work every day. What is unique about construction businesses is that any subcontractor could be delivering services specific to the project, so there really is no limit. Even the smallest of construction projects is going to include trades like heating and cooling, plumbing, electricity, actual construction of frame and exterior, roofing, and drywall installation. It can also be services like security, low-voltage cabling for data and lighting, landscaping, non-foundation concrete and paving, and painting. Even with all those different jobs being done in a short period of time, there are some injuries they all have in common. The other injuries and hazards that Normandie Law Firm regularly sees include slip or trip and falls resulting in body injuries, and run all the way to machinery accidents, as well as electrical shocks.

• Broken or fractured bones, including skull fractures, from falling into open holes or trenches, and heavy material falling like roof tiles and HVAC equipment
• Sprains that damage the connective tissue of joints or complete dislocations when moving material across a job site
• Back, neck, and spinal cord injuries are due to the amount of lifting that goes on
• Exposure to prolonged loud noises at a damaging level caused by tools, a generator, and heavy equipment

The hazards common across locations, and they may or may not be related to the jobs and roles, are:

• Malfunctioning equipment in common use, leading to shocks or burns
• Environmental issues like fire or flooding
• Earthquake damage and falling debris

If you have been injured while working as a subcontractor, Normandie Law Firm recommends that you get a full medical exam when you are being treated for your injury. The other injuries you might have need to be found immediately and treated as soon as possible.

Are My Injuries Going To Be Covered By Worker’s Compensation If I Am Working As A Subcontractor?
In general terms, any injury that an employee suffers while at work and while doing their assigned job is going to be covered under the worker’s compensation program. There are some exceptions to that rule, but they deal with not being work-related. They are typically denied due to the actions of the employee. Examples like an attempt at self-harm by the employee, being under the influence of drugs or alcohol, or horseplay while at work, but not job-related, are the reasons for denial. Each company is required by law to purchase the worker’s comp insurance program and to pay the costs for the insurance. Please note that only your company covers you for worker’s compensation insurance. Even though you may be working as a subcontractor for another company, they do not provide the insurance.

The Benefits Provided By The Worker’s Compensation Program
Below is a list of key benefits that address the majority of an injured worker’s needs. Every employee that is covered by worker’s comp insurance is eligible to receive injury benefits that include, but are not limited to the following:

• A total of up to 1 million dollars in medical care coverage for hospital and doctor’s bills, costs of medical devices like a cane, wheelchair, braces, or crutches, any prescription medications or over the counter treatments, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and any other medical cost on a per incident basis
• Employees who are unable to return to work until fully recovered from their injuries may get up to 66% of their weekly income from the program
• If any employee experiences severe harm and has long-term limitations or a disability due to a workplace injury, the program offers long-term disability payments
• If any employee has an injury that will stop them from returning to their previous role and job, they will be eligible for free vocational training that will allow them to seek employment after being cleared to return to work

Filing A Personal Injury Lawsuit If I Am Hurt At Work
Based on the rules around worker’s compensation insurance, you will not be permitted to file suit for being injured at work. Worker’s compensation insurance is an exclusive remedy for workplace injuries. What it means is that an employee who is hurt at work and files a claim with worker’s compensation is not going to be permitted to file a personal injury lawsuit against their employer for the same injuries and costs.

Employer liability for gross negligence or failure to create a safe working environment is something you can file a lawsuit for. What this requires is the ability to prove that the target of the lawsuit is guilty of gross negligence. California law defines gross negligence as willful misconduct or a reckless disregard for the safety of others. Some very basic examples of this include:

• Equipment that is dangerous to use in its present condition, which the company is aware of
• The creation of a known hazard on property that is an obvious danger, like an exposed live wire
• The failure to properly train an employee on the use of dangerous equipment

If gross negligence is suspected and can be proven, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the entity that is responsible, and the court will award damages. You are still not permitted to sue for damages received, like your medical bills or lost wages that you have already received from worker’s compensation, only for things you have not been compensated for. In the case of lost wages, it means you could sue for the difference between what you typically received for income and what worker’s compensation provided. If you suffered an injury at work and have questions around who can be sued and what you need to do, Normandie Law Firm will help you find those answers, and we will be ready to represent you.

Normandie Law Firm And Upfront Expenses
When you speak with a Normandie Law Firm Los Angeles subcontractor construction site injury attorney, you will not be charged any upfront legal fees. If we get hired to represent you and fail to win your case, you will not be billed for our services. Please get in touch with Normandie Law Firm about any questions or concerns you have while going through the worker’s compensation process.

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