The construction profession is inherently one of the most dangerous occupations and every year thousands of workers in Illinois are injured or killed at construction sites.

Under Illinois law, an injured worker has the right to file and collect workers compensation benefits for injuries on the job. However, an injured worker may also have a third party negligence claim against a contractor, subcontractor, equipment manufacturer or other person or business as long as the at fault party is not the employer or co-worker of the injured or deceased person. Generally, these types of lawsuits involve either general negligence in maintaining safe working conditions, or products liability for negligently maintained or designed equipment or vehicles.

For example, a subcontractor is hired to erect scaffolding which another company's worker will use to perform his work, and the subcontractor fails to make sure that the bolts holding the scaffolding are properly secured causing the scaffolding to collapse. If the worker is injured by this accident, the subcontractor can be liable for the worker's injuries because the worker was not an employee of the subcontractor.

Under Illinois Law, there are time limitations from the date of the accident to file a construction negligence lawsuit. If you or a loved one has been injured or killed as a result of a construction accident, a lawyer should be consulted as quickly as possible to evaluate your case and to protect your rights.

If the facts of your construction accident case do not call for a third party negligence claim to be filed, you or your family still have a right to collect Workers' Compensation benefits.

If you or a family member has been injured while working at a construction site or if a loved one has been killed in a construction accident, contact our offices at (312) 399-8988 for a no fee consultation.