4 Construction Accident Tips That May Help Your Case

Were you injured on a construction site in Illinois? Read our 4 construction accident tips that may help your case, then give us a call today!

4 Construction Accident Tips That May Help Your Case 61327549 Altered Chute

1) After a Construction Accident Injury

Technician working outdoor at wind turbine field.Sometimes I’m asked, “If I’m seriously injured in a construction site accident in Naperville, what are some of the first steps that I should take?” First, obviously, is to seek medical care. When you get the medical care, you want to be sure to give the physician an accurate history as to how you were injured on the construction site.

Secondly, if possible, you want to try to document the scene and the evidence at the time of your injury. A lot of people have their cell phones with them, even at work, and if you’re able to take pictures of any of the conditions or the site itself at the time your injury occurred, it can really help protect you down the road in pursuing any kind of construction accident injury case. If you have coworkers that may have taken some additional pictures of the scene when you were injured, those photographs can help us protect you as well when we decide to pursue a construction injury case.

If you have any questions about construction injuries or getting injured on the job, feel free to give us a call. We can answer any questions that you have.

2) Common Mistakes To Avoid

We were asked the other day to talk about some of the common mistakes that we see people injured on construction sites make, especially here in Illinois. The number one issue we see is a failure to notify your employer that you’ve been injured on the job site. Anytime you’re hurt on the job site, we always advise people, even if it’s a minimal injury, to document what happened. In this day and age, most people carry a phone with them at all times. If you were injured on a construction site, if you or your coworkers are able to take photographs of the scene, of the condition, or anything else that was going on at the time you were injured, it can really help you protect yourself down the road with your construction accident.

Oftentimes after a construction worker is injured on a site, it may be they’re taken away by ambulance or they’ve left the job site, either the general contractor or other subcontractors will alter or change the site – we have seen it many times – so it’s important that in the event you’re injured on a construction site, document it right away and take pictures or have your coworkers take pictures if possible.

3) Insurance Investigation

In Illinois, when we talk to someone who’s been injured in a construction site accident, they normally ask us, “Is it alright if I talk to the insurance company or the insurance adjuster who’s contacted me?” The answer is no. You have no obligation to talk to an insurance adjuster after a construction injury. As a matter of fact, you have no obligation to fill out an accident report or an accident description as to what happened to you. You simply have to give notification to your employer that you’ve been injured on the job. Anything after that is typically designed to try to harm your case.

The insurance adjuster that may be contacting you about your construction site injury has been trained in how to question you to try to minimize the exposure to their own company. They will ask you questions in a way to try to put the blame back onto you or onto some other company other than the party that really caused the accident.

If you have any questions about what to do after a construction site injury, please give us a call. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you have.

4) Notifying Management

One of the things I’m asked is, “If I’m injured on a job site in Naperville, doing construction work, should I notify management?” The answer is always yes. It is required under the Workers’ Compensation Act, as well as your ability to pursue a construction accident case, to notify at least your foreman, supervisor, manager or even a coworker that you’ve suffered an injury while working on a construction site.

Oftentimes the scene of the construction site can change, even after you report your injury. Also, if you finish the day and go home, and then try to come back the next day and claim you’ve been injured on the construction site the day before, there is a great chance that the manager, superintendent, general contractor foreman will not believe you when you go to report your injury. It’s important that you report your injury at the time it occurs so that it verifies that it happened; it helps protect the evidence.

If you have any questions about construction site injuries or anything that may have occurred with you while you’re working, please give us a call. We’d be happy to answer any questions that you have.


Were you or a loved one seriously injured on a construction site due to suspected negligence in Illinois and have questions? After reading our 4 construction accident tips that may help your case, contact our experienced Naperville construction accident attorneys today for a free consultation and case evaluation.

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Tom Chute is a 1993 graduate of DePaul University College of Law in Chicago, Illinois. With over 30 years of experience in personal injury law, Tom has obtained millions of dollars in settlements and jury awards on behalf of injured clients.

Tom has earned a reputation as a leading trial lawyer in the Chicago area, and he is frequently appointed by his fellow trial lawyers to serve as an Arbitrator.

A member of the Illinois Trial Lawyers Association and The Society of Trial Lawyers, Tom is a frequent speaker at a number of professional organizations, law schools, and seminars in Illinois.

Experience: Over 30 years
Illiois Registration Status: Active

Naperville Attorney Tom Chute