Extremity Injuries on Construction Sites
A construction worker who hurts an arm, hand, leg, or foot on the job in Pennsylvania can claim workers’ compensation for medical care and lost pay, plus added specific loss benefits when the damage proves permanent. Most claims start with your employer’s insurance, and many construction accident cases also open the door to a separate claim against an at-fault company.
How Do These Injuries Happen on a Job Site?
Construction work around Gettysburg and in Adams County puts hands and limbs at risk from heavy machinery, power tools, and unstable heights every day. A single slip, a faulty guard, or a dropped load can change a worker’s life in seconds. Common extremity injuries are as follows:
- Crushed or mangled hands
- Traumatic finger and limb amputations
- Compound fractures
- Severe burns
- Deep cuts with nerve or tendon damage
These wounds regularly require surgery, therapy, and extended time away from work. Even after the bones heal, lasting weakness or limited motion can keep you from the trade you trained for, which is why the law treats a permanent loss differently from a temporary one.
What Benefits Cover a Permanent Loss?
Pennsylvania pays scheduled specific loss benefits for the permanent loss of a body part or its lasting use, set at a fixed number of weeks per limb. A lost hand, for example, is worth 335 weeks of payments, and an arm reaches 410 weeks under the schedule.
Under Section 306(c) of the Workers’ Compensation Act, 77 P.S. § 513, these payments are owed even if you return to your old job at full pay, because they compensate the loss itself rather than missed wages, and they stack on top of any benefits paid during your healing period. That single rule reshapes what many injured workers think they can recover.
Can Someone Other Than Your Employer Be Liable?
Workers’ compensation bars most lawsuits against your employer, yet a third party who helped cause the injury can still face a separate claim. That claim can add money for pain, suffering, and full lost earnings that workers’ compensation never pays. Possible at-fault parties include:
- Equipment and machinery makers
- Subcontractors on the site
- Property owners
- General contractors
- Negligent drivers near the work zone
Sorting out who controlled the hazard takes a close look at the site, the gear, and the chain of command. A strong third-party case runs alongside your workers’ compensation benefits and often makes the difference between scraping by and rebuilding your livelihood.
Securing Your Financial Future After a Construction Accident
A permanent hand or limb injury follows you for decades, so the value of your claim calls for real scrutiny. Our attorneys handle extremity injuries on construction sites for workers across Adams County, pairing workers’ compensation benefits with any third-party claim to capture the full cost of the harm.
DiLoreto, Cosentino & Bolinger P.C. brings more than 40 years of experience and has recovered over $250 million for injury victims. Call (717) 496-0070 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation.