Construction accident cases are rarely straightforward. Questions about benefits, fault and insurance can involve several parties at once. At Hedberg & Boulton, P.C., our Central Iowa workers’ compensation attorneys help injured construction workers understand their rights, protect their claims and pursue the full benefits or compensation available after a serious job site injury.
If you were hurt on a construction site in Des Moines, Central Iowa or another Iowa community, you may have more than one legal option. You may have a workers’ compensation claim through your employer. You may also have a personal injury claim against a third party that helped cause the accident. Our law firm can help you sort through those issues and take the next step with confidence.
Construction zones are among the most hazardous work environments in Iowa. Workers often perform physically demanding jobs around heavy equipment, elevated work areas, electrical systems, moving vehicles and unfinished structures. Even when everyone is trying to work safely, one mistake can cause serious harm.
Common causes of construction site injuries include:
These accidents can cause traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, broken bones, severe burns, crush injuries, amputations, eye injuries and occupational illnesses. In the most tragic cases, a construction accident can lead to wrongful death. Our lawyers understand how quickly a workplace injury can affect your health, income and family stability.
One of the most important steps after a construction accident is understanding which legal path applies to your situation. Iowa law may provide more than one avenue for recovery. The right approach depends on where you were working, who employed you, what caused the accident and whether another party may share responsibility.
If you were injured while working on a construction site, Iowa’s workers’ compensation system is usually your first avenue for recovery. Workers’ compensation benefits may cover medical care, a portion of lost wages and disability benefits. In most cases, you do not have to prove that your employer was at fault.
That does not mean the process is simple. Insurance companies may dispute whether the injury happened at work, whether treatment is necessary, how much wage loss should be paid or whether you can return to the job. Our workers’ compensation lawyers can help you file your claim correctly, respond to insurance company issues and appeal if your claim has been denied or undervalued.
Workers’ compensation is not always the only option. If someone other than your direct employer contributed to the accident, you may have a separate personal injury claim. A third party may include a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, maintenance company, delivery driver or another business working on the site.
A third-party claim can allow recovery for losses that workers’ compensation may not fully cover, such as pain and suffering, full lost earning capacity and other non-economic losses. Non-economic losses are harms that do not come with a simple bill, such as physical pain, emotional distress and loss of enjoyment of life. Our attorneys can evaluate whether both claims may be available and how they may interact.
Construction sites often involve many companies and workers. That can make responsibility harder to determine. A subcontractor may leave debris in a walkway. A property owner may fail to correct a known hazard. An equipment manufacturer may sell a defective machine. A general contractor may fail to coordinate basic safety practices.
Depending on the facts, responsible parties may include:
Identifying every responsible party matters because construction accident claims often involve overlapping insurance coverage. Our law office reviews the facts carefully so that injured workers in Central Iowa do not overlook a source of recovery.
Some construction injuries heal with treatment and time. Others affect a person’s ability to work for months, years or the rest of their life. Our attorneys often help injured workers and families understand how medical issues connect to wage loss, disability benefits and long-term claim value.
Common construction accident injuries include:
Construction workers often want to return to work as soon as possible. That is understandable. But returning too early, accepting an inaccurate work restriction or ignoring ongoing symptoms can affect both your health and your claim. A lawyer can help you understand how medical records, work restrictions and job duties may affect your workers’ compensation benefits.
The compensation available after a construction accident depends on the type of claim. Workers’ compensation and personal injury claims serve different purposes, and they do not cover the same losses.
Through a workers’ compensation claim, an injured construction worker may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits such as:
Our workers’ compensation attorneys can review whether wage benefits are being calculated correctly and whether the insurance company is paying what Iowa law allows.
If a third-party personal injury claim is available, compensation may include:
These claims can be especially important when a construction accident causes permanent injuries or prevents a worker from returning to the same trade.
Strong construction accident claims depend on evidence. Important details can disappear quickly when a site is cleaned up, equipment is moved or witnesses leave the project. Our law firm works to preserve and review the information needed to understand what happened.
Evidence may include:
Our lawyers also look at how the accident has affected your daily life. A claim is not only about what happened on the date of injury. It is also about what your recovery requires, whether you can keep working, what restrictions you have and how the injury affects your family.
The steps you take after a construction accident can affect your ability to recover benefits or compensation. If you are physically able, consider taking these actions:
Insurance companies often move quickly after accidents to limit their exposure. Having legal representation from the outset can help preserve key evidence and reduce the risk of mistakes that may harm your claim.
In many cases, yes. If a third party’s negligence contributed to your accident, you may be able to pursue both a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury lawsuit. Negligence means a person or company failed to use reasonable care, and that failure caused harm. These claims are not always mutually exclusive, but they must be handled carefully because one claim can affect the other.
Iowa follows a modified comparative fault rule in many personal injury cases. This means your compensation may be reduced by your percentage of fault, and recovery may be barred if your share of fault is too high. Workers’ compensation claims are different because they generally do not require you to prove that someone else was at fault.
Most Iowa personal injury claims must be filed within two years of the injury, although exceptions may apply. Workers’ compensation claims also involve strict notice and filing deadlines. Some workers must notify their employer within a short period after learning that an injury is work-related. Because deadlines can depend on the facts, it is important to speak with an attorney as soon as possible.
Independent contractors are generally not covered by Iowa workers’ compensation laws, but worker classification can be complex. A label in a contract does not always decide the issue. If another party’s negligence caused your injuries, you may still have a personal injury claim. Our attorneys can review your work relationship and explain your options.
A denial does not always mean your case is over. Claims may be denied because of disputes about how the injury happened, whether the injury is work-related, whether treatment is necessary or whether deadlines were met. A workers’ compensation lawyer can review the denial, gather supporting evidence and help you determine whether an appeal is appropriate.
At Hedberg & Boulton, P.C., we handle personal injury and workers’ compensation cases on a contingency fee basis. This means you pay no attorney fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is also free, so you can ask questions and understand your options before deciding how to move forward.
If you or a family member has been injured in a construction accident in Iowa, do not wait to get legal guidance. The attorneys at Hedberg & Boulton, P.C. help workers and families in Des Moines, Central Iowa and communities across the state understand their rights after serious workplace injuries.
We will listen to what happened, answer your questions in plain language and explain whether you may have a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury claim or both. To schedule a free case review, send us a message online.