Fires and explosions at construction sites pose a serious but preventable risk to workers. Potential causes include pressurized containers, flame torches, soldering irons, and flammable materials and chemicals. Injured workers may require months or even years before they are fully healed. Construction site explosions and fires are often due to the negligence of another party.
In the aftermath of an explosion, our skilled team at Friedman, Levy, Goldfarb, Green & Bagley, P. C. can protect your interests and work diligently toward obtaining meaningful compensation on your behalf. Outside of workers’ compensation, litigation is often essential for securing the financial resources needed to pay for immediate and long-term medical care and pain and suffering. A seasoned New York construction accident lawyer will leave no stone unturned to get you the best results. Call today to schedule a free consultation.
The Importance of Hiring a Fire and Explosion Accident Lawyer
The destructive power of fires and explosions can erase all traces of how they started or what triggered them. A fire accident lawyer familiar with how fires originate and the catalysts that cause explosions will better understand and interpret the forensic evidence after a fire is extinguished. They can develop theories about its causes and who may be liable. The specialized knowledge of a fire and explosion accident attorney is often a significant component in recovering the largest available damages award.
How a New York Fire and Explosion Accident Lawyer Can Help You
Contractors and liability insurers that provide them with coverage have every incentive to minimize or deny damages awards. Moreover, insurance companies hire teams of lawyers and claims adjusters who have years of experience in dealing with fire and explosion cases. They are adept at getting accident victims to make statements contrary to the victim’s interests.
By retaining a New York personal injury lawyer with experience negotiating with liability insurers and their clients, an accident victim levels the playing field and inevitably gets more favorable results. In particular, a lawyer will:
- Manage communications with all relevant parties and foreclose direct contact between insurers and claimants.
- Prepare a thorough damages claim statement with supporting documentation to verify the full measure of the victim’s current and prospective future losses and damages.
- Investigate the fire and explosion accident with fire reconstruction experts and organize all evidence to conclusively demonstrate the cause of the accident.
- Negotiate aggressively for maximum compensation from all liable parties and, if those parties refuse to compensate the victim, pursue claims through a fire and explosion accident lawsuit before a New York judge and jury.
The Legal Process for Fire and Explosion Accident Victims
Injured workers should seek prompt medical treatment. It establishes a causal connection between a fire and explosion accident and their injuries. Any delays can allow negligent parties to argue that some intervening event was the source of the victim’s injuries. After a healthcare provider assesses all injuries, they should consult with an explosion accident lawyer who can begin to collect and secure evidence.
That evidence is best collected at the scene of the accident before any cleanup crews remove damaged supplies and equipment. It might contain proof of how the fire started and who is potentially liable. Hiring a lawyer will allow the victim to focus on recovering without worrying about negotiating with liability insurers.
Who Can Be Held Liable?
The details about a fire and explosion accident generally include essential clues about the negligent third parties liable for causing a fire and explosion at a construction site. For example:
- An explosion originating in an area where compressed gasses had been stored suggests that a party did not properly store those gasses.
- Fires that begin when flammable fuels contact ignition sources can reveal that a party negligently managed the delivery and transfer of those fuels.
- Electrical fires can point to negligent wiring by an electrical contractor or overloaded circuits not properly protected by breakers and other safety systems.
- Fires that originate with welding equipment can reveal improper training or unsafe procedures by welding contractors.
- Failed or inadequate fire suppression systems might be tracked back to project planners and contractors who negligently attempted to reduce project costs by cutting corners on those systems.
How Does a Construction Accident Lawyer Prove Negligence?
Contractors and other third parties who perform operations or provide services at a construction site have well-defined obligations to exercise precautions and follow safety protocols to prevent fires and explosions. An attorney will prove that a party was negligent by defining those obligations by referencing objective resources, such as OSHA safety regulations. Using all available evidence to show how that party failed to fulfill those obligations, an attorney will show how that failure led to an accident that caused injuries and losses.
What Compensation Can a Victim Recover?
A portion of the total damages a victim can recover may be paid through a workers’ compensation claim filed with their employer’s insurance carrier. However, other damages may be available from third parties whose negligence contributed to the explosion. For example, economic damages comprise objective financial losses that can be shown with documentary evidence, such as:
- Bills from health care providers and hospitals showing the medical costs that the victim incurred to treat injuries
- Lost wages and earnings, as shown by pay stubs that show a loss of earnings while the victim was unable to work due to fire and explosion injuries
- Statements showing the actual costs for physical and occupational therapy
- Receipts for mobility assist devices and other equipment and supplies that the victim requires to accommodate healing.
A victim’s non-economic damages, which can be substantial, will comprise payments to reflect the victim’s pain and suffering, the effect of injuries on the ability of the victim to enjoy their lifestyle and relationships with friends and family members and any psychological impacts of permanent scarring or disabilities caused by injuries.
Call Friedman, Levy, Goldfarb, Green & Bagley for a Free Consultation
The fire and explosion accident lawyers at the New York City Law Firm of Friedman, Levy, Goldfarb, Green & Bagley offer complimentary consultations in all construction site injury cases in Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Queens. Please call our office to speak directly with an attorney about your case and your right and opportunity to recover significant compensation for your injuries.
Your time for filing your case may be limited, and important evidence about the causes of your accident will fade the longer you wait. Since we work on a contingency fee basis, you will not pay attorney’s fees unless we win compensation for your injuries.
