Construction Accident Lawyer in California
Construction zones in California can put workers, passersby, and neighbors in harm's way when sites are run carelessly. If you were hurt by a party other than your own employer, you may have options beyond workers' compensation — a separate claim against the company whose negligence caused your injury. Untangling the layers of companies on a job is where a careful investigation matters most, and it is what we do. Se habla español.
Were you hurt in a construction accident?
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Third-party claims beyond workers’ comp
This is different from a workers' compensation claim against your own employer. When a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, or equipment maker creates a hazard — falling debris, an unsecured site, a defective machine, or an unmarked excavation — an injured worker or a bystander may have a separate injury claim against that party. These claims often turn on who controlled the dangerous condition and whether they failed to make the site reasonably safe. A third-party claim can be pursued in addition to workers' comp, and it can seek the full damages comp does not provide.
How we untangle responsibility in California
You focus on healing; we handle the rest. We map out every contractor and entity on the project, preserve site safety plans, inspection records, and any footage, and identify the party whose negligence caused your injury. For a bystander or neighbor, we pursue the site's operator or owner directly. Our goal is a full recovery from those actually at fault — separate from any workers' comp benefits. Every matter begins with a free, confidential review. Se habla español.
Why work with Woods Law Group
Construction cases are among the most complex in personal injury — a single job can involve a dozen companies, and figuring out who controlled the hazard, while coordinating with any workers' comp claim, takes real experience. The evidence — safety plans, inspection records, and the equipment itself — is controlled by others and can disappear fast. Having an attorney who moves quickly makes a real difference. We take these cases on a contingency basis for clients we represent, which means no fee unless we recover, and we advance the costs. You get straight answers, real communication, and a firm that treats your recovery as the priority.
How much is my construction accident case worth? →
Common construction accident cases we handle in California
- Your Rights After A Construction Injury
- Third Party Claims Vs Workers Comp
- Injured Construction Worker Third Party
- Falling Debris And Objects
- Crane And Heavy Equipment Injuries
- Unsafe Site Conditions
- Defective Equipment And Machinery
- Settlement Value
Dealing with the contractors and insurers
California deadlines and rules
California allows a third-party injury claim separate from workers' compensation, so an injured worker can pursue both — comp benefits from an employer and a full injury claim against a negligent non-employer. The deadline to file most injury claims is generally two years, with a shorter notice deadline where a public project or entity is involved. California follows pure comparative fault. Sorting out the layers of contractors, and coordinating with any comp claim, is central to these cases.
- Filing deadlines (statute of limitations)
- Comparative fault in California
- Claims against a government agency
- Evidence that builds your claim
California injury law: deadlines, fault and caps
California injury law shapes your case in a few specific ways worth knowing early.
- Filing deadline: You generally have two years from the date of the injury to file — and only about six months to put a government entity on notice before you can sue.
- Fault: California follows pure comparative negligence, so you can still recover even if you were partly — or mostly — at fault, with your recovery reduced by your share of the blame.
- Damage caps: An ordinary California injury case has no cap on damages; medical-malpractice claims are the main exception.
- Uninsured drivers: California sets minimum auto-insurance limits and uninsured/underinsured-motorist rules that affect what coverage is available.
Free tools and guides
- Construction Accidents FAQs
- Settlement & deadline calculators
- Free downloadable guides
- Checklists
- Calculators & estimators
- Side-by-side comparisons
- Questions & answers
Articles
Frequently asked questions
I already have a workers’ comp claim. Can I still sue?
Often, yes. Workers' compensation is a claim against your own employer, and it does not cover everything. A third-party claim is separate — against a different company (a contractor, property owner, or equipment maker) whose negligence caused your injury — and it can seek the full damages, like pain and suffering, that comp does not provide. You may be able to pursue both.
I was just walking by the site when I got hurt. Do I have a claim?
Very likely worth investigating. Construction sites owe a duty to keep the public reasonably safe from their operations, and a passerby or neighbor hurt by falling debris, an unsecured site, or a careless operation can have a claim against the site's operator or owner — with no workers' comp complication at all.
How much does a construction accident lawyer cost?
We handle these third-party cases on a contingency basis for cases we take, which means no fee unless we recover, and the initial review is always free. These cases can be expensive to investigate, and we advance the costs. Cost should never stop you from finding out where you stand.
Ready to find out where you stand?
The case review takes about two minutes. It's free and confidential, with no obligation.