Construction Accident Lawyer in Philadelphia
Many occupations within the construction industry are among the most dangerous jobs to perform in the country. According to the 2012 National Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, cosntruction work was ranked tenth in the top ten most dangerous jobs in Philadelphia. Every year throughout the city, hundreds of construction workers tragically die and thousands more suffer serious work-related injuries in workplace accidents.
Construction Accident Attorney in Philadelphia
Construction accidents can happen in an instant. However, the injuries stemming from a construction accident often have long-term effects. Serious bone fracture injuries, spinal cord injuries, head injuries, amputation injuries, and burn injuries can leave a worker permanently disabled. Even a seemingly minor knee, ankle or hand injury can affect a worker’s ability to provide for his or her family.
If you or a loved one suffered an injury on the job, it is highly recommended you talk to an ethical construction accident lawyer at Liberty Bell Workers Compensation. Call us today and you will quickly learn how the workers’ compensation system works and how you can get benefits for injury-related damages. You will also learn how we can help prevent you from being denied or delayed much needed benefits.
Philly Construction Accident Lawyers
For many years throughout the area, the competent construction accident attorneys Liberty Bell Workers Compensation have helped hurt and sick workers get maximum benefits for injury expenses, such as medical costs, lost wages, disability, and medical-related travel expenses. Injured workers should not have to suffer both physically and financially, which is why the work comp system was put in place. However, the system does not always make it easy to ensure a hurt employee gets the help he or she needs. Insurance companies looking to keep profits high often deny or delay benefits to legitimate work comp claims.
Don’t let a greedy insurance company try to deny you what you may be entitled to. Get in touch with a skilled construction accident attorney at Liberty Bell Workers Compensation right away to discuss your rights and potential case. We have grown tired of seeing injured employees being taken advantage of by the for profit insurance companies and will use every resource we have to put a stop to and counter the insurance companies’ unethical tactics.
Construction Accident Attorneys in Philly
You wouldn’t let a plumber fix your roof, so why would you let an attorney with no work comp experience handle your work comp case? At Liberty Bell Workers Compensation, all of the professional construction accident lawyers with out firm have years of experience handling cases similar to yours and will:
- Investigate the cause of the accident to prove your injury was work-related
- Handle talks with your employer and their insurance carrier
- Make sure you have access to the best doctors and surgeons in the area
- Gather, prepare, and submit claim paperwork
- Always keep you informed of the status of your case
- Never ask you for a dime until they get you full and fair benefits
Workers Comp for Asbestos Exposure Injuries and Illness
Out of all the occupational diseases covered by PA workers compensation, asbestos exposure remains one of the most common. This material is commonly found in old buildings and industrial applications that existed before modern regulatory controls. Some outcomes include severe respiratory issues like mesothelioma.
If you worked for a company performing duties that brought you into contact with asbestos on a regular basis and developed health issues as a result, you can file a claim with the help of an experienced attorney. Professions with frequent exposure to asbestos include carpenters, roofers, paper mill workers, shipbuilders, steel mill workers, mechanics, and anyone in the construction or demolition industries.
With over 35 years in the workers compensation field, Gregory Boles understands what it takes to have a successful PA workers compensation claim or to appeal an initial denial and get the financial benefits you are entitled to.
Asbestos Facts and Risks
Despite this material being 100 percent natural, the rocky silicate is considerably damaging to the human body. It was used extensively in the 1900s in a wide range of products for the building and fire prevention industries. Regulation in the United States came too late for many people who developed a type of cancer called mesothelioma.
The complexity of proving that an individual’s cancer came from asbestos exposure is made more difficult due to the long gap of time that can exist between exposure and the diagnosis. In fact, it can be anywhere from 20 years to even 70 years after exposure according to the CDC. Even though asbestos use was minimized considerably in the last 50 years or so, people are still being affected by it today.
A mesothelioma diagnosis usually results in a life expectancy between six months and two years. Symptoms of this respiratory cancer include coughing, chest pain, shortness of breath, and severe fatigue among others. There is no doubt that people suffering with asbestos-related diseases have a much-reduced quality of life and considerably high medical bills.
This makes claims for workers compensation very important for people who were in contact with asbestos and developed health concerns because of it. Unfortunately, a 20-year mesothelioma diagnosis is well outside the statute of limitations of 120 days required for a workers comp claim in PA. Fortunately, occupational diseases do not follow the same schedule as injuries sustained in accidents or repetitive stress disorders.
Asbestos and Occupational Disease Compensation
A worker has 300 weeks to report an occupational disease such as mesothelioma from the last moment they were exposed to asbestos to the time of their diagnosis. That gives them nearly 6 years in which they can still receive benefits for their medical treatment costs, lost wages and disability payments, and when their families can receive death benefits.
While the time limits for workers compensation benefit claims are rather firm in most cases, there has been court cases such as Tooey vs. AK Steel Corp. that have challenged this time limit due to the exceptionally long time it takes for mesothelioma to appear in asbestos involved people. This successful case argued by competent attorneys made it possible to file for workers compensation in Pennsylvania well beyond the 300-week time limit. This would not result in an automatic denial of payments.
Even if you were exposed to asbestos many years ago, if you now have a medical issue or cancer related to that exposure, you should contact an attorney right away for help with a workers comp claim. Contact Liberty Bell Workers Compensation law firm to learn more about your options and to schedule an appointment with the experienced attorney today.
Philadelphia Construction Accident Lawyer
If you have questions about your construction accident-related injury or would like to know more about Liberty Bell Workers Compensation, please contact a friendly member of our staff right now at 215.399.0089. Consultations are free and every case is taken on a no win, no fee basis. Why wait one more day to ensure you get the most benefits for your injury damages? Pick up the phone and call today!