One of the largest and most robust industries in the United States today is the construction industry, and as of 2016, this industry had a market value of just over $1 trillion. This may not come as a big surprise, when one considers that construction crews are needed to build today’s bridges, skyscrapers, homes, banks, libraries, and more. Any construction project will involve hiring multiple contractor teams and pooling their expertise, materials, equipment, and manpower to get the project done. However, a construction site is known for its many hazards, and there are codes, regulations, and laws concerning worker safety and fire hazard prevention. This is where lawyers for construction companies come in. These lawyers for construction companies will have the legal expertise and power to pursue litigation against an at-fault party after an incident at the workplace. Labor law is a major factor here, along with property rights. Construction lawyers may make use of employment law or other paperwork if need be, and a construction law firm may be contacted by any newly-founded construction crew to get a lawyer on retainer. These lawyers for construction companies can do a lot of good should something go wrong.
The Sized of the Industry
Given the number of construction projects out there and the amount of materials and manpower being involved, court cases for injury or property damage during a project may end up quite large. The American Arbitration Association, or the AAA, is often asked to handle this, and this Association may take care of many cases per year. In 2015, for a fairly recent example, the AAA administered some 551 different construction industry cases that had a value of $500,000 or more each. The largest of all the mediated construction cases in that year came out to $2.6 billion, and the largest arbitration case came out to $96 million or so. In that year, the total value of all claims and counter-claims came out to around $5.5 billion. During cases such as these, lawyers for construction companies will be involved and use relevant law to look for settlement money or compensation on their clients’ behalf, and sometimes, a personal injury lawyer may be involved as well for worker injury cases. This may be especially true if a worker’s injuries will prevent them from doing paying work in the future.
Law at the Construction Site
Why might these lawyers for construction companies be involved? Modern safety standards and codes are strict for construction sites to prevent injury or property damage, but they may still happen. When a project starts, construction lawyers and attorneys will look over and approve blueprints and contracts, as well as set up invoice payments. These lawyers will also ensure that all city and state codes and regulations are being followed.
During a construction project, one or more workers may get injured or even killed, and there are many hazards that they face on the project site. A worker might get their arms or legs trapped in machines or under heavy objects, for example, or they may get hit by construction vehicles whose operator is not looking. And while it may sound mundane, slipping and falling is a serious hazard at a construction site, as a worker may lose their footing and fall several stories onto sheer concrete or a pile of bricks, or some other hard surface. Workers might also accidentally inhale harmful airborne fumes or particles and get lung disease. Such an injured worker may make use of their crew’s lawyer and/or a personal injury attorney whom they may find at a local law firm.
Property damage or invoice payments may also be an issue, and lawyers for construction companies will know how to handle such cases. Workers on the site might misuse and damage equipment or materials, or even lose items, and lawyers will know how to handle this. Or, another party may be very late making an invoice payment or make it clear that they won’t be able to pay it at all, so lawyers for construction companies can file paperwork to handle that, too. And if another party launches wrongful termination of the project, a construction lawyer may look into that and attempt to reverse the termination if deemed necessary.