What Benefits Arise Out Of a Construction Accident?
In any type of workplace construction accident, taking prompt action is the safest way to proceed, especially if you want to benefit from workers’ compensation for your injury or illness.
The first thing you should do when you have an accident is to notify your employer, including your foreman. This should be done as soon as possible and never later than 30 days after the incident. If there are any witnesses to the accident, you should mention it in your report. Do not be afraid to file a report, even if the accident happened as a result of your negligence. New York State law offers you protection against retaliation by employers.
In cases of injuries or illnesses that result gradually, over months or even years, a limited day period begins to count from when a person in the same situation should notice a correlation between your injury and work performed. It is usually irrelevant whether you continue to work after an accident, unless it was severe.
In New York, construction accident lawsuits, financial damages, and compensation are related to direct damages suffered by the plaintiff. These are the most realistic forms of loss compared to other instances where they are typically the easiest to identify and calculate. This is because the worker is reimbursed for their expenses incurred. However, the people who can be compensated for these damages are not just construction workers. In fact, certain circumstances allow any third party interested in having a relationship or financing involvement to file a claim for this compensation if they have been legally harmed. This includes spouses, children and insurance companies. Here are the most common types of economic damages in construction accident cases:
- Ambulance bills
- CPR treatment
- Rehabilitation and other long-term care
- Prescriptions, medical devices, other subscription measures
- Physical therapy
- Psychological or therapeutic attention
- Lost wages or lost investment opportunities
- Damage to property
Non-economic damages are a completely different category of compensation than damages in construction accident cases. Sometimes called general damages, non-economic damages are intended to reimburse the victim of a construction accident for the way in which an incident substantially changed their life in a way. It can be thought of as compensation for a reduced quality of life.
For instance, you cannot do the things you used to do, so your enjoyment or self-esteem may be reduced, then the non-economic damages will be accruing to you. Here are some more specific reasons why New York plaintiffs receive these types of damages in construction accident cases:
- Long-term pain and suffering
- Disfigurement
- Inability to care for yourself or others
- Inability to continue working
- Inability to have intercourse in the same way as before
- Inability to complete actions that you used to complete