Were you injured in a construction accident in Columbia, South Carolina? Call Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys for a free consultation at (803) 999-5756. Our experienced Columbia construction accident lawyers can help you file a workers’ compensation claim and/or a personal injury lawsuit for additional money damages as applicable.
Our award-winning personal injury law firm has more than 40 years of combined experience and knows the nuances of construction accident law as well as anyone in the state. You’ll be able to focus on your health and well-being throughout the legal process as we handle your claim from start to finish.
Why Hire Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys After a Construction Accident in Columbia, SC?
Construction accident cases are more complex than most personal injury claims. You may be dealing with a workers’ compensation claim and a third-party lawsuit at the same time, and how those two cases interact can directly affect how much money you take home. You need a Columbia personal injury attorney on your side who understands both systems and knows how to coordinate them for the best results possible.
Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys can provide you with exactly that kind of representation.
A few reasons to consider us for your construction accident case include:
- Case results that include meaningful recoveries in the seven-figure range
- Decades of combined experience handling personal injury claims
- Deep knowledge of South Carolina’s workers’ compensation system and third-party liability law
- Experience negotiating workers’ compensation liens to preserve more of your settlement
- A trial-ready approach that puts real pressure on insurance companies during negotiations
Contact our Columbia construction accident attorneys today to get started. We’re ready to start forming an attorney-client relationship as soon as you are.
Workers’ Compensation for Construction Accidents in South Carolina
South Carolina requires most employers with four or more workers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. If you were injured on a construction site while performing your job duties, you can likely file a claim for benefits regardless of who caused the accident. Workers’ comp is a no-fault system, which means your eligibility doesn’t depend on proving that your employer was negligent.
The benefits available through a workers’ compensation claim include:
- Medical expenses, covering everything from emergency treatment to rehabilitation
- Temporary total disability benefits if you’re unable to work while you recover
- Temporary partial disability benefits if you can return to work in a limited capacity
- Permanent partial disability benefits for injuries that won’t fully heal
- Permanent total disability benefits if you can never return to work
While these benefits provide an important safety net, they have real limitations. Workers’ comp only covers a portion of your lost wages, typically around two-thirds. It also does not compensate you for pain and suffering and the full impact the injury has had on your quality of life. That’s where third-party claims come in.
Third-Party Personal Injury Claims After a Construction Accident
South Carolina law generally does not allow you to sue your own employer for a construction site injury in most situations. Workers’ compensation is considered the exclusive remedy against your employer. However, if someone other than your employer contributed to the accident, you may be able to file a separate personal injury lawsuit against that third party.
Construction sites involve a mix of contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment suppliers, and other parties. Any one of them could bear responsibility for the conditions that led to your injury.
Common third-party defendants in Columbia construction accident cases include:
- Subcontractors who failed to follow safety protocols on the job site
- Equipment manufacturers who produced defective tools
- Property owners who allowed dangerous conditions to persist
- Engineers and project managers from outside companies who made negligent decisions
- Drivers employed by other companies who caused an on-site car accident or truck accident
A successful third-party claim opens the door to many more forms of compensation than workers’ comp can provide.
Common Causes of Construction Accidents in Columbia, SC
Construction sites are extremely dangerous places to work. However, at the end of the day, the cause of these accidents usually comes down to someone failing to take the right safety precautions in some form or another.
Some of the most common causes of construction accident injuries in the Columbia area include:
- Falls from scaffolding, ladders, and roofs
- Being struck by falling tools or materials
- Electrocutions
- Trench collapses
- Heavy equipment malfunctions
- Getting caught in or between machinery
- Slip and fall accidents
- Defective safety gear like harnesses and hard hats
- Lack of proper training on dangerous tasks
- OSHA violations that site supervisors failed to correct
No matter how the accident happened, you deserve to know whether someone else was at fault. Contact our trial attorneys today to go over the details of your case.
What Types of Damages Can I Recover After a Construction Accident in Columbia?
If you’re eligible to file a third-party claim, you can pursue compensation for all of your economic and non-economic losses.
On the economic damages side, that includes:
- Full value of your current and future medical bills
- Complete wage replacement and lost earning capacity
- Rehabilitation costs
- Out-of-pocket expenses
On the non-economic damages side, you can seek compensation for:
- Pain and suffering
- Emotional distress
- Loss of enjoyment of life
- Permanent disability
Punitive damages may apply in rare cases where the at-fault party acted in an especially reckless way. However, these damages also generally require that your case make it to trial.
How Much Does It Cost to Hire a Construction Accident Lawyer in Columbia?
You don’t need money upfront to hire a qualified attorney for your claim. Construction accident lawyers in Columbia typically work on a contingency fee basis. That means your attorney only collects a fee if your case results in a financial recovery. In other words, if you don’t receive a settlement or jury verdict, you’ll pay absolutely nothing in terms of attorney’s fees.
This system incentivizes your lawyer to increase the value of your claim as much as they can and also allows you to hire any attorney you’d like for your case regardless of your financial circumstances.
What If I’m Being Blamed for My Construction Accident?
For workers’ comp, fault usually doesn’t matter. The system provides benefits regardless of who caused the accident, with limited exceptions for things like intentional self-harm.
Third-party claims are different. South Carolina uses a modified comparative negligence law, meaning you can still recover as long as you’re not 51% or more at fault. Anything below that threshold means your damages get reduced by your share of the blame, but you’re still entitled to compensation.
Expect the insurance company to try to pin as much responsibility on you as possible. Our construction accident lawyers know how to push back against those tactics and protect the value of your claim.
How Much Is My Columbia Construction Accident Case Worth?
The value of your claim will be based on the specific facts involved in your situation. The most serious injuries generally lead to the largest recoveries, but plenty of other factors come into play.
Some things we’ll look at when evaluating your case include:
- How serious your injuries are and whether you’ll need long-term care
- How much work you’ve missed and whether you can return to your old job
- Whether a third party can be held liable on top of your workers’ comp claim
- The insurance coverage available from the responsible parties
- How the injury has affected your daily life
- The strength of the evidence tying someone else’s negligence to the accident
We can give you an initial sense of what your case may be worth during your free consultation.
How Much Time Do I Have to File a Construction Accident Claim in South Carolina?
The deadlines depend on what kind of claim you’re filing. For a standard personal injury lawsuit, you generally have three years from the date of the accident. For workers’ comp, you must notify your employer within 90 days and file your claim within two years by default.
However, if you’re filing a third-party claim alongside a workers’ comp case, the window is much tighter. Per state law, you have just one year from the date your workers’ comp carrier accepts your claim or starts paying benefits. You also have to notify the Workers’ Compensation Commission, your employer, and the workers’ comp insurer within 30 days of filing. Missing any of these deadlines could cost you the right to pursue additional compensation.
The bottom line is that the sooner you call a personal injury attorney for help, the less likely it is that something important gets missed.
Contact Our Columbia Construction Accident Attorneys to Set Up a Free Consultation
A construction accident in Columbia, SC, can turn your life upside down. However, you may have more legal options for recovering compensation than you originally anticipated. Jamie Casino Injury Attorneys is here to help you make the most of your opportunity to take action.
Contact our Columbia construction accident attorneys today to schedule a free consultation. We have 40 years of experience handling cases like these and are confident we can help you as well.
