Construction accidents are the third most likely cause of work-related injury, after mining and agriculture. Some common causes of construction accident reports include faulty scaffolding, falls from heights, motor vehicle accidents, carbon monoxide poisoning due to faulty gas mechanisms, forklift accidents, electrocution, machinery accidents, and injury due to falling objects.

Construction accident reports must be filed immediately following the injury. A construction accident lawyer should be retained after a construction accident report is filed. About 36 construction accident attorneys practice in Massachusetts , who can be found through the Massachusetts Bar Association at http://www.massbar.org. The Massachusetts statute of limitations requires that a suit be filed within three years.

The attorney will gather a list of several possible third party defendants in order to ensure a better chance at winning a settlement. Any or all of several parties can be held accountable for a construction accident. Depending on the size and sophistication of the construction project, there can be a wide variety of individuals involved at a construction site, including the site's landowner, design and engineering professionals, contractors (including general, "prime," and "sub"-contractors), construction managers, and equipment and material suppliers. While many construction projects are based on general contract relationships (where a general contractor retained by the site owner enters into agreements with sub-contractors as needs require), larger projects are increasingly being handled by "construction management" organizations.

The type of system in place at a construction site where an injury occurs will be an important consideration in assessing the potential liability of the various individuals involved in the project, especially as to the site owner's liability. To determine who may be liable for injuries resulting from a construction accident, the attorney will take a close look at the duties and legal responsibilities of individuals involved in the construction project.

In Massachusetts , an injured employee cannot sue his or her employer or any co-employee for negligence that causes an injury. If, however, any third parties have negligently caused the injury, then a claim may be pursued against them. The injured worker has the exclusive right to pursue a third party claim for seven months following an injury. After those seven months, an insurer who has paid workers' compensation benefits to the injured worker may file a lawsuit in the injured worker's name against a responsible third party. When this happens, the injured worker may lose control over the litigation.

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