Of all the dangers you may encounter at work, at home, or even just moving through the world for business or pleasure, perhaps the most subtle yet consistently dangerous one is gravity. An accidental fall from any height can lead to you suffering an injury that interferes with every part of your life for weeks or even months at a time, and the farther you fall, the more damage your eventual landing is likely to do.
Depending on how and where the accident happened, seeking financial recovery for injuries caused by a fall from height in Reno can take a few different forms and end in a few different ways, not all of which benefit you as the person who actually got hurt. Fortunately, you have help available from the dependable Reno construction accident lawyers at Shook & Stone, where we have experience handling every possible angle of a personal injury claim up to and including workers’ comp and Social Security.
Does Workers’ Comp Cover Falls from Heights on Worksites?
Falls from heights are one of the most common causes of workplace injuries not just in Reno, but all over the state of Nevada and throughout the United States. Thankfully, workers’ compensation insurance should cover injuries like this on a “fault-free” basis as long as they occur while the injured person was performing job-related tasks and did not result directly from the injured person’s own negligence—for example, not wearing a safety harness despite being instructed to do so by their employer.
While workers’ comp is not designed to reimburse injured workers for every form of harm an accident like this can lead to, it should provide coverage for all reasonably necessary medical treatment needed to help an injured worker reach “maximum medical improvement.” It should also provide restitution for a significant portion of lost wages while the worker is recovering from their injury, as well as other benefits that a qualified Reno personal injury lawyer can go into more detail about as needed.
Filing Suit Against a Third Party Over an Accidental Fall
Someone who gets hurt in a fall from a height on a Reno worksite and is covered by workers’ comp cannot file suit against their own employer over that accident, even if it stemmed entirely from that employer’s own negligence. Outside of that scenario, though, anyone whose reckless or careless conduct contributes to causing someone to fall from a high height and suffer a serious injury may hold civil liability for that injured person’s ensuing damages regardless of where the accident actually happened.
Alternatively, in some situations, it may be possible to file suit under product liability law against a manufacturing company and hold them strictly liable for a product defect that led to a dangerous fall. For example, if someone was wearing a safety harness on a construction site as instructed by their employer but then fell because the harness broke unexpectedly, the company that made and sold that harness might be liable for damages caused by a dangerous flaw in the design or manufacturing of the harness.
Talk to a Reno Attorney About Financial Recovery After a Fall from a Height
Falling off of a high surface can be intensely frightening in the moment and potentially life-altering—if not life-threatening—in the weeks, months, and years afterward. As with any other type of accident caused by someone else’s misconduct, you may have multiple options for seeking financial compensation if you can prove someone else liable for an accident like this in one way or another.
No matter the circumstances, assistance from a seasoned personal injury lawyer will give you a much better chance of recovering fairly after a fall from a height in Reno. Call Shook & Stone today to learn more.
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