Trusted personal injury lawyers with over 42 years of experience.
If you were hurt at a construction site in Simi Valley, CA, you may be dealing with serious injuries and confusing workers’ compensation paperwork. Construction accident cases are not like ordinary car accident claims. Our Simi Valley, CA construction accident lawyer has been fighting for injured individuals since 1984. At Goldberg Injury Lawyers, we represent people who have been wrongfully injured and need guidance for recovery. We offer a free consultation to get you started.
Construction Accident Lawyer Simi Valley, CA
What makes construction accident law different from other personal injury cases? Construction sites involve general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and sometimes government agencies. All of these parties are operating under overlapping legal duties. When someone gets hurt, every one of those parties has a reason to claim it wasn’t their responsibility. A construction accident attorney in Simi Valley has to know how those relationships work and how California law assigns fault across multiple defendants.
Types of Construction Accident Cases We Handle in Simi Valley
Construction sites are among the most hazardous work environments in California. OSHA identifies the “Fatal Four”, including falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-in/between accidents. These are the leading causes of construction worker deaths nationwide. But the injuries we see go well beyond those categories. Here’s an overview of what we handle:
- Falls from heights. Scaffolding collapses, unsecured ladders, and unguarded floor openings send workers to the hospital every day. These cases often produce catastrophic injuries such as fractures, spinal cord damage, and traumatic brain injuries.
- Struck-by accidents. Falling tools, swinging crane loads, and unsecured materials cause devastating injuries on active job sites. Workers below an elevated work area are especially vulnerable when proper netting, toe boards, or debris containment measures are missing.
- Electrocution and electrical burns. Contact with overhead power lines, exposed wiring, and ungrounded equipment can result in severe burns, cardiac arrest, or death. These cases frequently involve violations of lockout/tagout procedures or inadequate site planning near energized systems.
- Caught-in/between accidents. Trench cave-ins, unguarded machinery, and collapsing structural elements can crush or trap workers without warning. Trench collapses in particular are among the most preventable and most fatal hazards in the industry.
- Crane and heavy equipment accidents. Crane tip-overs, equipment rollovers, and mechanical failures on excavators, forklifts, and loaders cause some of the most serious construction injuries. Operator error, poor maintenance, and defective components all create potential claims.
- Toxic exposure injuries. Prolonged contact with asbestos, silica dust, lead paint, or chemical solvents can produce respiratory disease, cancer, and neurological damage that may not appear for years after exposure. These cases require specialized medical evidence linking the illness to specific job site conditions.
- Wrongful death. When a construction accident takes a life, surviving family members may have a wrongful death claim separate from any workers’ compensation recovery. These cases require immediate attention.
Why Choose Goldberg Injury Lawyers for Construction Accidents in Simi Valley, CA?
42 Years of Personal Injury Experience in California
Barry P. Goldberg founded Goldberg Injury Lawyers in 2005 after more than two decades of personal injury litigation across California. He earned his J.D. from Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 1984 and has been licensed to practice in California state courts, U.S. Federal District Courts, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States Supreme Court, where he personally appeared to sponsor another attorney’s admission to the bar.
Barry has been named to the Super Lawyers Top 100 Southern California list and has received the Super Lawyers designation ten years in a row as of 2021. He holds an AVVO “Superb” 10.0 rating and has received AVVO’s Client’s Choice Award. He’s also a volunteer mediator and CRASH settlement officer with the Los Angeles Superior Court, so he understands how cases resolve from every angle.
As a personal injury lawyer in Simi Valley, CA, Attorney Barry and his team have recovered millions of dollars for clients with brain injuries, spinal injuries, fractures, and other serious injuries across California.
Results That Matter
We handle construction accident cases on a contingency basis. You pay nothing unless we recover compensation for you. Clients dealing with serious injuries and mounting bills shouldn’t have to worry about attorney fees before they’ve seen a single dollar of recovery. Contact us today so we can speak with you further.
Understanding Construction Accident Cases in Simi Valley
Damages, Liability, and Compensation
Construction accident victims in California may be entitled to recover several categories of damages, depending on the facts of their case:
- Medical expenses: Treatment costs, diagnostics, surgeries, rehabilitation, and long-term care.
- Lost wages: Lost income during recovery, and reduced future earning capacity when injuries are permanent.
- Pain and suffering: Physical pain, emotional distress, and the toll the injury takes on everyday life.
- Damage to Property: Property may get destroyed, in which compensation can be provided for repair or replacement.
- Wrongful death: Damages are available to surviving family members if they lost a loved one after a fatal accident.
Liability in construction accidents rarely falls on one party alone. General contractors carry a duty to keep job sites safe, equipment manufacturers can face product liability claims when defective machinery is at the root of an injury, and property owners may bear responsibility for hazardous site conditions. Government entities can also be named when an injury occurs on a public road or infrastructure project. Pinpointing every responsible party and locking down evidence against each of them is one of the most critical steps you can take early in the process.
Important Aspects in Your Construction Accident Case
Construction cases come with layers of complexity that don’t appear in typical auto accident claims. Generally, there are a few things that tend to matter the most:
- Third-party claims alongside workers’ comp. If you were injured at work, workers’ compensation may cover some losses, but it typically won’t compensate you for pain and suffering. A third-party liability claim against a contractor, property owner, or equipment maker can reach those damages. Both claims can proceed at the same time.
- OSHA violations as evidence. A citation issued to a contractor after your accident can be powerful evidence of negligence. We review OSHA records as part of every construction case investigation.
- Multiple insurance policies. General contractors, subcontractors, and property owners all carry separate policies. Understanding how those policies stack and interact affects how much total compensation may be available.
- Statute of limitations. In most California personal injury cases, you have two years from the date of injury to file suit. Claims against government entities carry a much shorter 6-month administrative deadline.
Construction Accident Case Timeline
Every case is different and does not follow the exact same path, but most go through a recognizable sequence of events. Here’s a general picture:
- Immediately after the construction incident. Get a medical examination and treatment, report the injuries, and gather any proof you can.
- Early investigation phase. Your attorney gathers records, photographs the scene, identifies all liable parties, and sends preservation letters to prevent evidence from being destroyed.
- Medical treatment and documentation. Your case value builds as your medical picture becomes clearer, settling before you’ve reached maximum medical improvement often means leaving money on the table.
- Demand and negotiation. Once treatment is stabilized, your attorney sends a demand package and engages in negotiations with all relevant insurers.
- Resolution. A settlement, arbitration award, or jury verdict is concluded.
What to Bring to Your Construction Accident Consultation
Come prepared with the information and evidence you have. You don’t need to have everything organized, as that’s what we’re here for. Useful items to bring include:
- Any accident or incident report from the job site
- Medical records or bills received so far
- Photos of the scene, your injuries, or any equipment involved
- Contact information for witnesses
- Any insurance correspondence you’ve received
At your free consultation, you’ll speak with our team about what happened, who was involved, and what your options are. We’ll give you an honest answer about the strength of your case and the path forward. There’s no obligation to retain us after that conversation. We hope to be your legal resource today.
California Legal Resources for Construction Accidents
California’s construction injury laws draw from multiple sources, and understanding the framework can help you make sense of your situation. A few key resources:
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1: Injured individuals generally have two years from the date of the accident to file a personal injury lawsuit against a private party. This applies to third-party claims filed alongside or instead of a workers’ compensation claim.
- California Government Code Section 911.2: Claims against a public entity must be filed within six months of the incident date. If a government agency owned or controlled the construction site, this shorter deadline applies and missing it typically bars recovery entirely.
- California Labor Code Section 5405: Sets the statute of limitations for filing a workers’ compensation claim at one year from the date of injury, last date of benefits received, or last date of employer-provided medical treatment.
- California Code of Civil Procedure Section 340.8: Governs the statute of limitations for claims arising from exposure to hazardous materials in the workplace. Provides two years from the date the plaintiff discovers, or reasonably should have discovered, the injury and its cause.
Reach Out to Goldberg Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
If you or someone you love was hurt at a job site in Simi Valley, contact Goldberg Injury Lawyers today for a free consultation. We represent injured individuals throughout the area, and there are no fees unless we recover compensation for you. We are prepared to offer advice on your situation today.