Tunnel worker accidents in Las Vegas can potentially serve as the basis for workers’ compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits, depending on who was involved and how the accident happened. Either way, the support of an experienced construction injury attorney from Shook & Stone will likely be crucial to getting you paid what you deserve without being hindered by legal or procedural roadblocks.
Common Causes of Tunnel Worker Injuries
Nevada is one of the most tectonically active states in the country, and while major quakes that are strong enough to damage aboveground structures are fairly rare, even minor shaking can do structural damage to underground tunnels and put workers at risk of injury. Other more common but no less harmful sources of tunnel worker incidents in Las Vegas include:
- Malfunctioning excavation equipment
- Falls from scaffolding or other high surfaces
- Errors during demolition work
- Impacts from falling objects
- Electrocution from frayed or broken wiring
- Motor vehicle collisions, especially inside completed tunnels
If you get hurt on the job in any of these ways while employed by a company involved in tunnel construction, maintenance, or operation, it’s crucial to seek legal advice. You should have access to benefits like reimbursement for medical expenses and partial replacement of lost wages through your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. A qualified attorney can help you explore your options and offer guidance about the next steps to take during a free and confidential consultation.
Holding Someone Else Civilly Liable for a Tunnel Accident
If you get hurt while working inside a Las Vegas tunnel specifically because of misconduct by someone other than your employer, you may have grounds to seek compensation from them by filing a lawsuit. Rather than the fault-free approach workers’ comp takes, these cases are typically built around negligence. That means you will need to prove through a “preponderance of evidence” that a specific reckless or careless act by your named defendant(s) was the main and direct cause of your injury.
While you cannot recover again through a personal injury claim for losses already covered by workers’ comp, you can seek restitution for various forms of harm that workers’ comp does not cover. Depending on the circumstances, this could include both economic damages, like lost future working capacity, and non-economic damages, like physical pain and suffering.
Get Help from a Las Vegas Attorney After a Tunnel Worker Accident
Tunnel construction is a growing industry in Las Vegas, meaning more jobs for local construction and service workers. If you get hurt while working this kind of job, you deserve fair financial restitution for the harm you experience as a result of your injury, just like anyone else who gets injured at work does.
The construction injury lawyers at Shook & Stone can help you seek the compensation you need to recover after a tunnel worker accident in Las Vegas. Call today to speak with one of our compassionate legal professionals about your legal rights and options.
