Construction Accident Lawyer in Richmond, VA
If you were hurt on or near a construction site in Richmond or Central Virginia, Collier & Collier handles the third-party claim, not workers’ compensation. We find out which company created the hazard and hold them to it. Case reviews are free, and you pay nothing unless we recover money for you.
No Recovery,
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80+ Years Combined
Attorney Experience
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Practicing Personal Injury Law
Since 1973
Workers’ Comp vs. a Third-Party Claim
What each claim pays
Workers’ comp pays medical treatment and part of your lost wages. It pays nothing for pain, or for what the injury has done to your life away from the job. You generally cannot sue your own employer.
A third-party claim is a separate case against a company that did not employ you. It requires proving negligence, and it covers losses comp will never pay.
We handle the third-party claim, not workers’ compensation
Collier & Collier does not file workers’ compensation claims. If comp is your only route, we will tell you that in the first conversation.
On most job sites, a general contractor, several subcontractors, a property owner, and a rental company all have a hand in the same work. Our construction accident lawyers handle the claim against the company that created the hazard.
Workers can pursue both
Filing for workers’ comp does not block a third-party case. Comp can continue while that case is pending. If you recover on the third-party claim, your employer may have a lien against part of it.
If workers’ comp does not apply
Delivery drivers, inspectors, utility crews, drivers in work zones, and people walking past a site.. Independent contractors, 1099 workers, and day laborers usually have no workman’s comp coverage either.
The negligence claim is against the company that created the hazard. Crews move off the site quickly, and the condition that hurt you often disappears with them.
Construction Site Accidents We Handle in Richmond, VA
- Scaffolding accidents and falls from heights
- Crane, hoist, and rigging failures
- Forklift and heavy equipment accidents
- Electrocution and contact with live wires
- Trench and excavation collapse
- Falling tools, materials, and debris
- Fires and explosions
- Structural and partial collapse
- Struck by a vehicle in a work zone
Who Can Be Held Responsible for a Construction Accident
It isn’t always obvious who employs whom on a job site.
- The general contractor. Site safety, coordination between trades, and the condition of shared areas usually sit here.
- Another subcontractor. The crew that left a panel open, removed a guardrail, or stacked material where it could fall.
- The property owner. Owners who keep control of the site, or who know about a hazard and say nothing. This is the usual route for someone hurt near a site rather than on it, and it works like any other premises liability claim.
- The equipment manufacturer or rental company. A defective lift, a failed safety cutoff, a machine nobody maintained.
- Architects and engineers. A design failure that made the work unsafe.
If a construction accident took the life of someone you love, our wrongful death attorneys can explain who is eligible to file under Virginia’s Wrongful Death Act.
Contributory Negligence Is the Defense You’ll Hear First
Virginia still follows contributory negligence. If you’re found even slightly at fault, you can be barred from recovering anything.
Insurers build toward that from day one. You knew the site was active. You should have seen the hole. This is what the insurance companies oftentimes argue.
What defeats the argument is the record: who controlled the area, what the safety plan required, whether the hazard was marked, and who had been told about it.
Two Years to File, Six Months on Public Projects
Virginia generally gives you two years from the date of injury under Virginia Code §8.01-243.
Public projects are different. School construction, VDOT road work, and municipal buildings can require written notice within six months or written notice within one year, depending on the government entity.. Missing that window can end the claim while the two-year deadline is still running. Our premises liability lawyers page covers those rules.
The practical deadline is shorter than either one. The scaffold comes down within weeks, and the crew moves to another job in another county.
Our Construction Accident Claims Process
We find out who was on the site. Job sites carry layers of contracts. We work out which company controlled the area where you were hurt, and which of them owed you a duty.
We move to preserve evidence. Preservation letters go out before logs, inspections, and footage are gone. Serious injuries are also reported to Virginia Occupational Safety and Health.
We coordinate with your comp claim. Your employer has a lien under Virginia Code §65.2-309 against part of what you recover. We account for it from the start rather than at settlement.
We deal with the insurers. There are usually several, and their interests conflict.
We prepare the case for trial. Most claims settle, and they settle better when the other side expects a trial.
Related Premises Liability Claims
What Your Construction Injury Claim Could Be Worth and What It Costs to Hire Us
A third-party construction accident claim can cover medical expenses past and future, lost income, reduced earning capacity if you can’t return to the same trade, pain and suffering, and long-term care where the injury is permanent.
What your case is worth depends on the injury, the treatment ahead of you, and how your life has changed. Anyone who quotes a number before reviewing the case is guessing.
We work on contingency, so there’s no upfront cost and no hourly bill while your case is pending.
Why Choose Collier & Collier
Our attorneys bring more than 80 years of combined experience to these cases, and we’re still a small, family-operated firm. You’ll talk directly with the attorneys and staff handling your case.
We’re clear about which claim you actually have. If your only route is workers’ compensation, we’ll tell you in the first conversation instead of taking a case that isn’t there.
We know the Richmond-area courts that hear these cases and the adjusters who handle them, and we know which records and evidence to obtain and how quickly they can sometimes disappear.
Reviews
Frequently Asked Question
Talk to a Richmond Construction Accident Lawyer Before the Site Changes
You may have two years to file, and far less if a government entity owns the project. The site itself will change in days. Call Collier & Collier at (804) 364-5200 for a free case review.
Contact Us/Legal Questions
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