Los Angeles Construction Accident Lawyer

Injured on a Los Angeles Construction Site? Look Beyond Workers’ Comp

Beyond the initial emergency room visit, a severe jobsite accident threatens the specialized career you spent years building.

Standard workers’ compensation benefits rarely account for the full financial damage, but additional legal avenues often exist to cover the gap.

Construction sites involve multiple companies and layers of responsibility. Your employer may not be the only party connected to what happened. A general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or another company may have contributed to the unsafe condition or equipment failure that caused your injury.

As a Los Angeles construction accident lawyer team, Easton & Easton investigates the job site rather than stopping with your employer’s insurance. We help identify the parties that may be legally responsible, preserve evidence, and pursue available claims alongside your workers’ compensation benefits.

Easton & Easton is a family-run trial firm with more than 100 years of combined experience. Founder Doug Easton and his sons have practiced together since 2014. The firm has secured recoveries as large as $26 million for injured workers, and its attorneys approach each case with the preparation needed for litigation when a fair resolution cannot be reached through negotiation.

If you were injured on a Los Angeles job site, contact Easton & Easton to discuss what happened and whether a third-party claim may be available.

Construction Accidents We Handle for Los Angeles Workers

Construction injuries can result from falls, collapsing structures, defective equipment, unsafe electrical conditions, and other hazards. The cause of the accident matters because it can help determine which parties may be responsible.

Easton & Easton handles construction accident claims involving:

• Falls from heights involving scaffolding, ladders, roofs, elevated platforms, or unfinished floors
• Scaffolding and shoring collapses caused by improper assembly, overloading, or unsafe site practices
• Crane and heavy equipment accidents involving cranes, forklifts, machinery, and other large equipment
• Electrocution injuries involving exposed wiring, electrical equipment, or contact with power lines
• Trench and excavation collapses involving inadequate shoring, sloping, or other excavation hazards
• Struck-by injuries caused by falling tools, debris, materials, or equipment
• Defective construction equipment involving tools, machinery, harnesses, and other products that fail during use
• Construction zone traffic accidents involving vehicles operating near workers
• Chemical and hazardous material exposure involving substances such as solvents, asbestos, and other workplace hazards
• Third-party negligence involving contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, or other parties outside your employer

The type of accident is only part of the investigation. We also examine who controlled the work area, who supplied the equipment, who created or knew about the hazard, and what each company was responsible for doing. Understanding when to hire a personal injury lawyer in California ensures that critical evidence from jobsite hazards is documented immediately.

Your Construction Injury May Involve More Than Workers’ Compensation

Workers’ compensation can provide important benefits after a jobsite injury, but it does not always address every loss caused by an accident.

California law usually protects an employer from a direct personal injury lawsuit when workers’ compensation applies. That protection does not automatically extend to every other company involved in the construction project.

A general contractor may have controlled part of the site. A subcontractor may have created an unsafe condition. A property owner may have known about a dangerous condition. An equipment manufacturer may have supplied a defective product. Each situation requires a separate investigation.

A third-party claim may provide compensation that is not available through workers’ compensation, including damages for pain and suffering and certain losses involving future earning capacity. Injured workers frequently evaluate what kind of cases personal injury lawyers handle in California when determining whether third-party claims apply.

That is why identifying every potentially responsible party matters. The companies involved may have separate insurance policies and separate legal interests. Their insurers may also dispute who was responsible for the accident.

Our job is to investigate those relationships and build the evidence needed to pursue the parties who may be legally responsible for your injury. Understanding how personal injury settlements are paid out in California helps injured workers plan their long-term financial recovery.

How We Investigate a Los Angeles Construction Accident

Construction sites change quickly after an accident. Equipment may be moved, conditions may be altered, and witnesses may return to other projects.

We work to preserve important evidence while it is still available.

Identify Every Potentially Responsible Party

We examine the companies and individuals involved in the project, including your employer, general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, and other entities connected to the work.

Preserve Evidence

Photographs, inspection records, safety documents, equipment records, contracts, incident reports, and witness accounts can help establish what happened. We work to preserve relevant evidence before it becomes harder to obtain.

Coordinate With Your Workers’ Compensation Claim

A third-party lawsuit and a workers’ compensation claim can proceed on separate tracks. We account for the workers’ compensation claim while investigating whether another party may be liable for your injuries.

Pursue the Available Insurance Coverage

Different companies may have different policies covering the same construction project. We identify the applicable coverage and pursue the parties and insurers that may be responsible for your losses.

Prepare for Trial

A case may resolve through negotiation, but preparation for trial can affect how seriously the opposing side evaluates a claim. Brian Easton’s membership in the American Board of Trial Advocates reflects his trial experience. Doug Easton has maintained an AV Preeminent rating for more than 30 years, and Matt Easton holds the same rating today.

A $26 Million Los Angeles Construction Accident Recovery

Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome in another case. They provide an example of the firm’s experience handling serious construction-related claims involving parties beyond an injured worker’s employer.

Since its founding, Easton & Easton reports more than $500 million recovered for clients. The firm’s experience includes claims involving employers, contractors, property owners, and equipment manufacturers.

Every case has different facts, evidence, defendants, and available insurance.

Filing a Construction Injury Lawsuit in Los Angeles

A personal injury lawsuit against a third party is separate from your workers’ compensation claim. Serious civil cases in Los Angeles County may be filed in the Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles, with the appropriate courthouse determined by the case and venue requirements.

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse at 111 N. Hill St. in Los Angeles handles unlimited civil matters. Cal/OSHA investigations are separate from civil litigation. The Los Angeles District Office is located at 320 West 4th Street, Suite 820, Los Angeles, CA 90013.

A Cal/OSHA investigation does not determine whether you are entitled to compensation in a civil lawsuit. Its records, citations, and findings may still become relevant evidence, depending on the facts of the case.

Easton & Easton represents injured workers throughout Los Angeles County. The firm’s main offices are in Costa Mesa and Laguna Beach, and its attorneys travel throughout Southern California for site inspections, depositions, hearings, and other case needs.

California Laws That Affect Construction Accident Claims

California’s workers’ compensation laws affect whether an injured employee can sue an employer directly.

Under California Labor Code Section 3602, workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against an employer when the workers’ compensation system applies. That protection does not provide the same immunity to unrelated third parties whose conduct may have contributed to the injury.

A third-party claim may involve a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or another party whose conduct contributed to the accident.

The deadline for many California personal injury lawsuits is also important. California Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1 generally provides a two-year limitations period for claims seeking damages for injury caused by another person’s wrongful act or negligence.

For a wrongful death claim arising from a construction accident, the limitations period can run from the date of death rather than the date of the underlying injury. When catastrophic workplace incidents turn fatal, consulting a dedicated Los Angeles wrongful death lawyer ensures strict statutory deadlines are met.

Statutes of limitations can involve exceptions and special rules. The facts of the accident, the identity of the defendant, and the type of claim can affect the applicable deadline.

Frequently Asked Questions About Los Angeles Construction Accidents

Can I sue if I already filed a workers’ compensation claim?

Often, yes. Filing a workers’ compensation claim does not automatically prevent you from pursuing a claim against a third party.

Your employer and a third-party defendant can have different legal responsibilities. A third-party lawsuit may proceed while your workers’ compensation claim continues.

The key question is whether someone other than your employer contributed to the accident and can be held legally responsible.

Who can be responsible for a construction accident?

The answer depends on the facts of the accident.

Potential defendants can include a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or another company involved in the project. More than one party may share responsibility.

An investigation should examine the roles each party played rather than assuming the employer was the only responsible company.

My employer says workers’ comp is all I can receive. Is that true?

Not always.

Workers’ compensation may be your primary remedy against your employer, but another company may still be responsible for causing your injury. A contractor, subcontractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer may face a separate claim.

Whether that claim exists depends on what happened and who contributed to the accident.

How long do I have to file a construction accident lawsuit?

Many California personal injury claims are subject to a two-year statute of limitations under Code of Civil Procedure Section 335.1.

The applicable deadline can change based on the type of claim and the parties involved. Some claims are subject to different deadlines or special rules.

Because missing a filing deadline can prevent recovery, it is important to have the specific facts of your case reviewed before assuming how much time remains.

What if I was partly responsible for my construction accident?

California follows a comparative negligence system. Sharing responsibility for an accident does not automatically prevent you from recovering damages.

Your recovery can be reduced according to your share of fault. The evidence surrounding the accident therefore matters when the other side argues that you caused or contributed to your injuries.

What can I recover in a third-party construction accident claim?

A third-party personal injury claim may allow recovery for losses that are not available through workers’ compensation.

Depending on the circumstances and available evidence, damages may include medical expenses, lost income, reduced future earning capacity, pain and suffering, and costs associated with long-term care or changes to your living environment.

The damages available in a particular case depend on the injuries, evidence, applicable law, and responsible parties.

What should I do after a construction accident?

Seek appropriate medical attention and report the accident according to your workplace procedures.

If it is safe to do so, preserve photographs of the accident scene, equipment, visible hazards, and your injuries. Keep copies of incident reports and other documents you receive. Write down the names and contact information of witnesses while the details are fresh.

You should also be cautious about giving recorded statements to another company’s insurance carrier before understanding how that statement may affect a potential claim.

Can a Cal/OSHA investigation help my case?

It can provide evidence that may be relevant to a civil claim.

Cal/OSHA investigates workplace safety issues separately from a personal injury lawsuit. A citation or other finding may support certain factual allegations, but it does not determine liability or damages in a civil case.

The investigation and your lawsuit therefore need to be evaluated separately.

Where is a Los Angeles construction accident lawsuit filed?

The appropriate courthouse depends on the facts of the case and California’s venue rules.

The Stanley Mosk Courthouse in downtown Los Angeles handles unlimited civil matters, including many high-value personal injury lawsuits. Other Los Angeles County courthouses may be appropriate for particular cases.

Your attorney can determine the proper venue and handle the filing requirements.

Do I have to speak with another company’s insurance adjuster?

You are not required to handle that conversation yourself.

An insurance adjuster represents the insurer, not you. Statements about how an accident occurred, your injuries, or your ability to work can become part of the insurer’s evaluation of the claim.

Before providing a recorded statement or signing documents for another party’s insurer, consider having the request reviewed by a construction accident attorney.

Speak With a Los Angeles Construction Accident Lawyer

A construction accident can involve more than an injury and a workers’ compensation claim.

Multiple companies may have been responsible for the worksite, equipment, or conditions that contributed to what happened. When explosions or hazardous fires occur on job sites, consulting a reliable Los Angeles burn injury lawyer helps establish catastrophic liability.

Easton & Easton brings more than 100 years of combined experience to serious injury cases. The firm reports more than $500 million recovered for clients and has secured recoveries as large as $26 million in construction-related claims. Doug Easton has maintained an AV Preeminent rating for more than 30 years, and the firm’s attorneys include members and honorees recognized for trial experience and legal achievement.

If you were injured on a Los Angeles construction site, we can review what happened, identify the parties that may be involved, and explain the claims that may be available beyond workers’ compensation.

Contact Easton & Easton to discuss your construction accident and your legal options.

Los Angeles, California Related Construction Accident Resources:

• What Does a Personal Injury Lawyer Do in California?
• Are Personal Injury Settlements Taxable in California?
• What Kind of Cases Do Personal Injury Lawyers Handle in California?
• When to Hire a Personal Injury Lawyer in California?
• How Are Personal Injury Settlements Paid Out in California?

Los Angeles, California Construction Accident Legal Resources

• Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles – Stanley Mosk Courthouse Civil Division
• California Department of Industrial Relations – Cal/OSHA Los Angeles District Office
• U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics – Fatal Work Injuries in California Data Release

About Los Angeles, California

Downtown Los Angeles features iconic landmarks like Gloria Molina Grand Park, a vibrant 12-acre civic green space spanning from the Music Center to City Hall that provides community gathering spaces. However, heavy commercial construction across the metropolitan area creates persistent hazards, with state authorities reporting over 80 fatal construction accident incidents in California in recent tracking periods. In response, Cal/OSHA and local enforcement agencies enforce strict fall-protection and trenching regulations to safeguard job sites. These safety initiatives remain essential to protecting working families and supporting community resilience.