When a safety violation causes an injury on a construction site, the injured may have options beyond workers’ compensation.
Negligence can take a heavy toll on construction workers. Georgia workers’ compensation pays wage loss and medical care benefits for people injured on the job, regardless of who was at fault. If someone other than the worker, a fellow worker or employer was at fault, workers’ compensation may not be the sole source of recovery for the injured worker. These are known as third-party cases.
What is a third party?
A third party could be anyone other than your employer or someone who works for your employer. Here are a few examples of third parties on a construction site:
- Another contractor
- The manufacturer of equipment or supplies used on the job
- The property owner
- The other driver in a vehicle accident
- The operator of a crane or other construction equipment
When someone violates a safety rule on a construction site, other people working on the site can suffer serious injuries. The civil justice system can hold careless people accountable and provide full compensation for the injured. That compensation can include damages not covered by workers’ compensation, including full wage replacement as well as money for pain and suffering.