Construction accident claims
A construction site injury usually involves two separate systems at once: a workers’ compensation claim against the employer, and potentially a separate injury claim against someone other than the employer. Understanding which is which at the outset matters, because the two systems have different deadlines, different proof requirements and different remedies. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C. handles construction injury matters in Virginia, Maryland, the District of Columbia, New Jersey and New York.
The third-party claim
Workers’ compensation is generally the exclusive remedy against an employer, and it does not compensate for pain and suffering. But construction sites are crowded with other parties: general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, equipment manufacturers, suppliers, and maintenance providers. Where one of them was negligent, a separate claim may exist alongside the compensation claim. Identifying every entity present on the site is early, essential work.
Site evidence disappears fastest here
Construction sites change daily by design. Scaffolding is dismantled, excavations are filled, equipment is moved off site, and the physical condition that caused an injury may not exist within a week. Daily reports, safety meeting records, inspection logs, subcontractor agreements and site photographs become the only remaining record. Preservation demands should go out immediately.
Safety regulations as evidence
Federal and state workplace safety standards do not themselves create a private claim, but a documented violation can be powerful evidence of negligence, and the resulting inspection file is often the most detailed contemporaneous account of the incident that exists. Obtaining it is a routine early step.
Filing deadlines
Every injury claim is governed by a statute of limitations, and the periods differ by state and by claim type. For personal injury actions the period is two years in Virginia under Va. Code § 8.01-243(A), accruing at the date of injury; three years in Maryland under Md. Code, Cts. & Jud. Proc. § 5-101; three years in the District of Columbia under D.C. Code § 12-301(8); two years in New Jersey under N.J.S.A. 2A:14-2; and three years in New York under N.Y. C.P.L.R. § 214(5). These are general periods. Discovery rules, tolling for minors and incapacity, claims against government entities — the District imposes a six-month notice-of-claim requirement for claims against the District government — and claim-specific statutes can shorten or extend them. Do not rely on a general period for your own case; have the deadline confirmed on your facts.
Pages in this section
This section covers falls from height, scaffolding and ladder incidents, struck-by and caught-between injuries, crane and equipment incidents, and third-party liability on construction sites.
Speak with Mr. Sris
Injury claims are governed by filing deadlines that vary by state and by claim type, and evidence degrades quickly. Request a consultation. Reach our location at (888) 437-7747. Consultations are by appointment.
Last reviewed: August 22, 2026.
Attorney Advertising. Law Offices Of SRIS, P.C., principal office: 4008 Williamsburg Court, Fairfax, VA 22032. By appointment. Call (888) 437-7747 to schedule.
The information on this page is general and is not legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created by reading it or by contacting the firm. Case results depend on a variety of factors unique to each case. Results may vary.
Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.
Attorney responsible for this advertising: Mr. Sris.