King County Construction Accident Attorney
A construction worker hurt on a King County job site usually has two separate claims, not one, and the workers’ compensation claim is the smaller of the two. Injury Law Group NW is a personal injury firm that represents people hurt by someone else’s negligence across King County and the greater Seattle area, and construction site injuries are one of the areas we handle. A King County construction accident attorney spends much of the early case figuring out who besides the employer can be held responsible.
That question matters because the Eastside and Seattle are crowded with active sites: high-rises going up downtown, apartment blocks in Bellevue and Redmond, road and utility work along I-90 and I-405, and residential builds in places like Sammamish and Issaquah. On a typical site, a dozen companies share the same ground. A general contractor, a framing sub, a crane operator, a property owner, an equipment lessor, and a scaffold supplier may all have a hand in what went wrong. Workers’ compensation generally covers the injured worker no matter who was at fault, but it does not pay for pain and suffering, and it rarely replaces what a serious injury does to a career. Third-party claims can.
Why Choose Injury Law Group NW for a Construction Injury Case
Injury Law Group NW is a Washington personal injury firm, and our attorneys spent decades defending insurance companies before representing injured people. That history shapes how we build a job site case. Troy Hunter, our founding partner, spent 16 years in insurance defense litigation, mostly as a partner at Floyd, Pflueger & Ringer, where his clients included insurers and corporate defendants facing personal injury, wrongful death, fire loss, and construction defect claims. Construction defect work is directly relevant here: he has seen how contractors and their carriers respond when a site injury turns into a lawsuit. Troy also serves as a dispute mediator.
David D. Mordekhov spent two decades at Gardner Trabolsi & Mordekhov, a Seattle defense firm, trying wrongful death, catastrophic injury, and product liability cases before judges and juries across Washington. Both Troy and David are rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell. David has been selected to the Super Lawyers list and teaches trial and deposition skills as faculty at the National Institute for Trial Advocacy. Warren Barreiro and Hannah Shergold are associate attorneys on the team, and Warren speaks Spanish, which matters on job sites where many workers are more comfortable in that language. David is fluent in Russian and has represented Russian and Ukrainian speaking families. Our attorneys have argued at every level of the Washington court system, from district court to the Washington Supreme Court, and we are members of the Washington State Association for Justice.
We prepare every claim as though it will be tried, because insurers pay more fairly when they know the lawyer across the table will go to court. Our results include more than $1 million for parents whose newborn died after a hospital failed to adequately test for Group B Strep, a case that also led the hospital to change its procedures, along with mid-six-figure settlements in serious crash cases. Past results do not guarantee a future outcome. Clients consistently describe our team as responsive, honest, and clear about what is happening in their case. We handle injury cases on a contingency fee basis, so there is no attorney fee unless we recover money for you, and the first consultation is free and confidential. If your injuries make travel hard, we will come to you at home or at the hospital.
How Construction Injuries Happen on King County Job Sites
- Falls from Ladders, Scaffolds, and Roofs: Falls from height remain the classic construction injury. Missing guardrails, poorly erected scaffolding, unsecured ladders, and inadequate fall protection on multi-story residential and commercial builds in Seattle, Bellevue, and Redmond are common starting points for a claim.
- Crane, Hoist, and Forklift Accidents: Dense urban sites rely on tower cranes and heavy lifting equipment. Overloaded rigging, undertrained operators, and poor communication between ground crews and operators can injure workers and people on the street below.
- Trench and Excavation Collapses: Utility and foundation work across the county involves deep excavation. Trenches without proper shoring or sloping can collapse in seconds, causing crush injuries and suffocation.
- Electrocution and Electrical Contact: Contact with energized lines, improperly locked-out equipment, and faulty temporary wiring cause severe burns and cardiac injuries, especially on sites near overhead power lines.
- Struck-By and Caught-In Accidents: Falling tools and materials, swinging loads, and workers pinned between equipment and structures account for many serious injuries on busy sites with several trades working at once.
- Defective Equipment and Tools: When a harness, scaffold component, nail gun, or lift fails, the manufacturer, distributor, or the company that maintained it may share responsibility, giving an injured worker a claim beyond the employer.
- Injuries to Passersby and Non-Workers: Pedestrians, delivery drivers, and neighbors can be hurt by falling debris or poorly protected work zones. These people are not covered by workers’ compensation at all, and their claims run directly against the responsible parties.
- Traumatic Brain and Spinal Injuries: Many of the worst job site accidents involve head and back trauma. These injuries are often disputed by insurers and require long-term medical and vocational evidence to value properly.
Workers’ Compensation and Third-Party Claims: Why Both Matter
When an employee is hurt on the job in Washington, the workers’ compensation system pays medical care and a portion of lost wages, and in exchange the worker generally cannot sue the employer. That trade-off does not erase claims against everyone else. If a subcontractor from another company left a hazard, if the property owner or general contractor controlled unsafe conditions, or if a piece of equipment was defective, an injured worker may pursue those parties in a separate personal injury action. That claim can seek compensation for pain and suffering, loss of enjoyment of life, and the full impact on future earning capacity, none of which workers’ compensation pays.
The two tracks interact, and mistakes in one can hurt the other. Statements given to a workers’ compensation adjuster, medical records, and incident reports can all surface later in the third-party case. A construction injury attorney in King County should be thinking about both claims from the first meeting, so that what you say and sign in one does not undercut the other. We work with clients to coordinate the two so benefits keep flowing while the larger claim is built.
Washington’s comparative fault rule also plays a role. Your recovery is reduced by whatever share of fault is assigned to you, but you are not barred from recovering unless your share is complete. Defense lawyers on construction cases often argue that the worker ignored safety rules or skipped available equipment. Because our attorneys spent years on the defense side of cases like these, we know how that argument is built and how to meet it with site records, training documentation, and witness accounts.
What to Do After a Construction Site Injury in King County
Get medical care first, even if the injury seems manageable. Construction injuries, especially to the head and spine, can worsen over hours or days, and a gap between the accident and treatment gives insurers an opening to argue the injury was not serious or not work-related. Make sure the injury is reported to your employer or site supervisor promptly and that a written incident report exists. Ask for a copy, and make sure it describes what actually happened.
If you can, or if a coworker or family member can, document the scene before it changes. Photographs of the area, the equipment involved, missing safety gear, and visible hazards are valuable, and sites are cleaned up and altered quickly. Write down the names of coworkers who saw the accident and the names of every company working on the site that day. That list is often the key to identifying third parties, because the injured worker’s own employer is only one of the companies involved. Keep your medical records, pay stubs, and any communication from insurers.
Be careful with recorded statements and with insurance adjusters from companies other than your own employer’s workers’ compensation carrier. You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to another party’s insurer, and talking to a lawyer first is wise. Do not post about the accident or your recovery on social media.
On deadlines, most Washington personal injury lawsuits must be filed within three years of the injury, and a wrongful death action runs three years from the date of death. A lawsuit is treated as commenced by filing or by service, but the other step must follow within 90 days or the filing may not protect the deadline. If a city, county, or other public entity may share responsibility, such as a public works project, a formal claim must first be presented to that entity on the required form, and suit generally cannot be filed until 60 days after presentment. Email and fax are not recognized ways to present most local government claims. Construction-related claims also carry a six-year outer limit measured from substantial completion of the work, which can matter when a defect in a finished structure causes harm years later. These rules are technical enough that talking to a lawyer early is the safest course.
Civil lawsuits in King County are filed in King County Superior Court, a general jurisdiction trial court. Plaintiffs living in Seattle or north of I-90 are generally heard at the King County Courthouse in Seattle, while those south of Seattle and I-90 are generally heard at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Serious construction injury claims typically belong in Superior Court. Federal court in Seattle may come into play in some multi-party cases.
Wrongful Death and Catastrophic Construction Injuries
Construction remains one of the more dangerous industries, and some accidents end in death. In Washington, a wrongful death action is brought by the personal representative of the estate for the benefit of the surviving spouse or state registered domestic partner and children, including stepchildren. If there is no spouse, partner, or child, the action may be brought for the benefit of parents or siblings. A separate survival claim can address the injuries the person suffered before death. These families often face the loss of the household’s income at the same time as funeral costs and grief, and we handle these claims with patience while pursuing accountability from every responsible party, not just the employer.
Common Questions About King County Construction Accident Claims
Can I sue if I already receive workers’ compensation?
Yes, if someone other than your employer contributed to the accident. Workers’ compensation generally prevents a lawsuit against your own employer, but it does not stop a claim against a general contractor, another subcontractor, a property owner, or an equipment manufacturer. Those third-party claims can recover damages that workers’ compensation does not cover.
How long do I have to file a construction injury lawsuit in Washington?
Most personal injury actions must be filed within three years of the injury, and wrongful death claims follow the same three-year period counted from the date of death. Claims against government entities require a formal claim first, followed by a 60-day waiting period. Because exceptions and tolling rules exist, it is best not to wait.
What if I was partly at fault for my own accident?
Washington uses comparative fault. Your damages are reduced in proportion to your share of responsibility, but you can still recover. A defense side that blames the worker is common in construction cases, and the facts often show that site conditions or other companies played a larger role.
Who can be held responsible besides my employer?
Possible defendants include the general contractor, other subcontractors working nearby, the property owner or developer, equipment manufacturers and lessors, and companies that supplied or maintained scaffolds, cranes, or safety gear. Sorting out who controlled the area and the equipment is one of the first things we investigate.
What compensation can a third-party construction claim include?
Compensation can include past and future medical care, lost wages, reduced earning capacity, and pain and suffering. In a wrongful death case, it can also include the loss of financial support and the loss of love and companionship for qualifying family members.
How much does it cost to hire your firm?
The first consultation is free and confidential, and we work on a contingency fee basis. You owe us no attorney fee unless we recover compensation for you.
Does it matter that I am an undocumented or immigrant worker?
Many construction workers in the Seattle area come from immigrant communities, and concerns about status keep some from seeking help. We encourage anyone hurt on a job site to talk with us confidentially. Warren Barreiro speaks Spanish and David Mordekhov is fluent in Russian, so language does not have to be a barrier to explaining what happened.
What if my injury was a brain injury that did not show up on a scan?
Insurers often dispute brain injuries because symptoms like headaches, memory problems, and mood changes may not appear on imaging. We push for prompt diagnosis and appropriate treatment and build medical and vocational evidence showing how the injury affects work and daily life.
How long does a construction accident case take?
It depends on the severity of the injury and how many parties are involved. Claims with several defendants and serious, ongoing medical treatment take longer, because a fair value cannot be set until your recovery is better understood. We prepare every case for trial, which tends to move insurers toward fair settlements.
Should I talk to an insurance adjuster before hiring a lawyer?
You are generally not required to give a recorded statement to another party’s insurer, and adjusters are trained to ask questions that can later be used to minimize your injuries or assign you blame. Speaking with a lawyer first is the safer approach, and our attorneys know how those statements get used because they spent years on the defense side.
Can a pedestrian or passerby hurt at a construction site bring a claim?
Yes. People who are not employees of any company on the site are not limited by workers’ compensation and can bring a direct claim against the responsible contractors and owners for falling debris, unprotected work zones, or other hazards.
Will my health insurance or workers’ compensation cover treatment while my claim is pending?
Workers’ compensation should cover treatment for a work injury, and health insurance may fill gaps. We help clients find the right doctors, keep medical bills under control, and coordinate these sources while the third-party claim moves forward.
Serving Construction Injury Clients Throughout King County
Our work for construction injury clients starts in King County and extends across the greater Seattle area and the Puget Sound region. We represent injured workers and families in Seattle, where high-rise and infrastructure projects are constant, and across the Eastside in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Sammamish, and Issaquah, where residential and commercial development keeps cranes and scaffolds in the skyline. South of Seattle, we serve people in Kent and Renton, where warehouse, industrial, and multifamily construction continues alongside work on the major corridors of I-5, I-90, and I-405.
Whether a job site sits in a downtown neighborhood, a suburban subdivision, or a roadside work zone, the legal questions are the same: who controlled the hazard, who failed to correct it, and who should pay. We also take cases for clients elsewhere in Washington, and if injuries make travel difficult, we will meet you at home or the hospital.
Talk With a King County Construction Injury Attorney
If a job site accident has left you or someone in your family hurt, you do not have to sort out the workers’ compensation claim, the third-party claim, and the insurance companies on your own. Call or text Injury Law Group NW to schedule a free, confidential consultation with a King County construction injury attorney. We will listen to what happened, explain which parties may be responsible, and work to secure the medical care and compensation you need to move forward. We give hope. We get results.
