Who Can Be Held Liable for Construction Accidents?

After a serious workplace injury, you may be wondering who can be held liable for construction accidents. Construction accidents are among the most common causes of job-related injuries in Arkansas. Tragically, they are also among the most common causes of job-related deaths. If you have been seriously injured or lost a loved one on an Arkansas construction site, it will be important to make sure you have a clear understanding of your legal rights. 

This includes having a clear understanding of who can be held liable for a construction accident.

In Arkansas, as in most states, employers are generally protected from personal injury and wrongful death lawsuits filed by their employees and their family members. While employers can be held liable for workers’ compensation, they cannot be held liable for the full financial and non-financial costs of a serious or fatal accident on the job in most cases. But, other companies can be held fully liable—and, if you need to file a claim, an experienced construction accident lawyer at Oliver Law Firm can help you seek just compensation by all means available. 

Companies That Can Be Held Liable for a Construction Accident in Arkansas

Even if you can’t sue your (or your loved one’s) employer, you may be able to sue a variety of other companies after a serious or fatal construction accident in Arkansas. For example, depending on the circumstances involved, you may have grounds to file a lawsuit against:

The Property Owner or Developer

Property owners can be held liable for dangerous conditions on their property. As a result, if you slipped or tripped and fell on a construction site, the property owner could be liable. It is possible to pursue claims against property owners in other circumstances as well.

Similarly, developers can be held liable for construction site accidents in many cases. If a developer fails to take adequate precautions to ensure that a property under development is safe for workers, then the developer can—and should—be held accountable. For example,

A Contractor or Subcontractor

Construction projects may involve a variety of contractors and subcontractors. If you or your loved one was harmed in an accident caused by a contractor or subcontractor’s negligence, then you may have a claim for full compensation. Negligent construction, negligent electrical work, and many other forms of carelessness and incompetence on the job can justify claims against contractors and subcontractors in Arkansas. As long as you don’t work for the contractor or subcontractor that is responsible for your injury (or your loved one didn’t work for the contractor or subcontractor), a lawyer will be able to help you seek just compensation.

A Construction Inspection Company

Inspectors play a critical role in ensuring that construction sites are safe for workers in all trades and occupations. If an inspector fails to identify a health or safety hazard on a construction site (and this failure leads to an accident), then the construction inspection company may be liable. This applies to all types of inspections, from foundation and electrical inspections to inspections of scaffolding.

An Architecture or Engineering Firm

Architecture and engineering firms can be held liable for construction accidents when they design dangerous structures. All architects and engineers working in Arkansas are held to high professional standards. If they fail to meet these standards—and if someone suffers a serious or fatal injury as a result—then they deserve to be held fully accountable. Like all of the other companies listed above, architecture and engineering firms usually have substantial liability insurance coverage, and recovering just compensation will involve dealing with their insurance companies in most cases.

A Product Manufacturer

Product manufacturers also typically have substantial liability insurance policies that protect them when their products cause serious and fatal injuries. On construction sites, all types of products have the potential to cause injuries—including:

• Construction materials
• Hand tools and power tools
• Heavy equipment and machinery
• Trucks, vans, and other vehicles
• Ladders and scaffolding

While most types of construction accident claims require proof of negligence, product manufacturers can be held “strictly liable” for product defects in Arkansas. This means that proof of negligence is not required. If a product failure is responsible for your injury or your loved one’s death, this alone can be enough to establish a claim for just compensation.

Talk to a Construction Accident Lawyer in Arkansas for FREE

Regardless of the circumstances involved, recovering just compensation after a construction site accident requires a prompt investigation and experienced legal representation. When you hire Oliver Law Firm to handle your construction accident case, we will get to work protecting your legal rights immediately. 
To learn more in a FREE, no-obligation consultation, please call 479-202-5200 or tell us how we can help online today. We welcome clients from across Arkansas and throughout the United States from our office in Rogers.