Boston Attorney for Construction Site Deaths
Boston has seen a surprising number of construction site deaths recently, with many construction workers turning up dead after accidents, sometimes under questionable circumstances. In any case, the loss of life at a job site is tragic and should never happen under the watch of experienced construction companies and prudent worksite operators.
If you lost a loved one to an accident at a construction site, our attorneys are prepared to help you seek compensation from the employers at that site. The Boston attorneys for the families of construction site deaths at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan are available for free legal consultations where we can go over the facts of your case and help you understand what steps you can take next. For a free legal consultation, you can reach us at (617) 925-6407.
Investigating Accidental Deaths at Construction Sites in Boston
If a family member of yours was killed at a construction site, it might not be obvious how the death happened or what circumstances led to the death. In many cases, accident reports and witnesses at the worksite will provide clear details about how a crane accident or other construction accident occurred and caused the death. In other situations, the circumstances might be more questionable, and it might not be clear how the deaths occurred.
A case in February of 2021 led to the deaths of two construction workers under circumstances where their bodies were found in a trench alongside the road after apparently being struck by a vehicle. Many cases like this often need to be investigated to help the families uncover what happened, who was responsible, what safety failures allowed the accident to happen, and what safety precautions (if any) had actually been taken.
The Law Office of John J. Sheehan’s Boston attorneys for the families of construction site deaths can help investigate the facts of what happened and begin building a case for you, the surviving family, to seek justice. We can talk to witnesses, foremen, construction companies, and other parties involved to help uncover what happened and how the death occurred.
Patterns of Negligence in Construction Site Deaths in Boston
Allegations against construction site operators, such as construction companies and utilities companies operating construction sites, sometimes result in evidence of negligence beyond the case at hand. In some cases, patterns of negligence emerge, and construction companies are shown to have had additional complaints against them in the past, or perhaps past instances of deaths or injuries from preventable accidents. In some cases, this evidence can help supply the court with the proof it needs to hold construction companies accountable and potentially punish them with punitive damages.
If the court finds that the construction site operators engaged in a pattern of misconduct that has put multiple workers at risk, the judge and jury might find that the company was not only negligent but that they actively ignored risks of deadly injury. This could help find fault in the company’s actions, but it may also lead a court to issue additional punitive damages against the company. These damages are often blocked in cases against an employer, but they could arise in a claim against a third-party for death at a construction site or in cases where an independent contractor was killed.
Punitive damages are rare, but they are often claimed in cases where companies or individuals commit outrageously negligent acts or are found to have a history of repeat negligence or systematic faults that they failed to fix. Especially if the pattern of negligence led to a wrongful death, our attorneys may be able to fight for punitive damages in your case.
Suing for Damages for Families of Deceased Construction Workers in the Boston Area
After the death of a loved one, your family could be left with substantial expenses that are difficult to pay for without the continued economic support of the person who died. Our Boston construction accident attorneys help fight to get families of deceased workers the compensation they need to keep going after the loss of a loved one.
Construction workers often have important income that their families need. After the worker’s death, the family may be able to claim their lost wages as damages in a wrongful death suit. Additionally, they can claim compensation for the deceased’s end-of-life medical care, their funeral and burial costs, and other damages the family faces because of the loss.
In most cases, wrongful death lawsuits against an employer can be filed by the deceased’s spouse under Mass. Gen. Laws Ch. 229, §2B. If there is no spouse, they can be filed by the “next of kin” instead, which usually means the deceased’s children or parents – but only if the next of kin relied upon their wages. If the construction worker was an employee and was covered by workers’ compensation, this might limit the family’s ability to sue, but those limitations do not usually apply to general contractors and other independent contractors/1099 workers.
Talk to our Boston lawyer for families of deceased construction workers to see if your case is eligible for a lawsuit, to determine what parties to file it against, and to see what damages you could be entitled to claim.
Call Our Boston Lawyers for Families of Construction Site Death Victims for Help with Your Case
The Boston wrongful death attorneys for the families of construction site deaths at the Law Office of John J. Sheehan work to help surviving spouses, children, parents, and other family members get compensation for their loved one’s death. to fight against negligence construction companies and other negligent parties responsible for a loved one’s death at a construction site, call us right away at (617) 925-6407.
