When a building collapses on a job site, the consequences for workers can be severe and life-altering. Crush injuries, spinal damage, and traumatic brain injuries are common outcomes, and recovery can take months or longer. In these matters, a Findlay building collapse lawyer can help you file a claim, understand your benefits, and explore whether additional legal options apply to your situation.
Ohio workers’ comp covers medical treatment and lost wages for most on-the-job injuries, including those caused by structural failures on a work site. What sets building collapse cases apart is that responsibility often extends beyond the employer, and an experienced construction accident attorney can determine who else may be liable from the start.
Building collapse accidents are among the most serious events that can happen on a Findlay job site. The force of a structural failure, whether it involves a wall, a floor, or a roof, can trap, bury, or throw workers with very little warning. Common injuries include:
Workers who survive a building collapse in Findlay often face long recoveries, repeated surgeries, and, in the most serious cases, permanent limitations that affect their ability to return to work. The medical and financial weight of these injuries is why understanding all available legal options matters from the start.
Ohio workers’ comp provides two main categories of benefits after a serious work injury: medical coverage and wage replacement. Medical benefits cover treatment related to the allowed conditions in your claim, including emergency care, surgeries, rehabilitation, and ongoing appointments with a BWC physician. Wage replacement covers a portion of your income while your injury prevents you from working.
The first step after any building collapse injury in Findlay is reporting the injury to your employer right away. Ohio Revised Code § 4123.84 sets a one-year deadline from the date of injury for most workers to file a claim with the BWC. After filing, the BWC will assign a managed care organization to handle the medical side of your claim and will issue an order allowing or denying it. Understanding what that order means and what to do next is where legal help becomes important.
Workers’ comp is the exclusive remedy against your employer, but it is not the only option when someone else contributed to the collapse in Findlay. If a property owner failed to maintain the structure, a general contractor ignored safety requirements, or a manufacturer’s equipment failed, a separate civil claim may be possible alongside your workers’ comp benefits.
Ohio Rev. Code § 4123.93 addresses how workers’ comp and third-party claims interact, including the BWC’s rights in any third-party recovery. These claims can produce compensation that workers’ comp alone does not cover, such as damages for pain and suffering. A building collapse injury attorney in Findlay can review what happened, identify every party that may bear responsibility, and advise you on whether a third-party claim applies in your case.
A Findlay building collapse lawyer at Schaffer & Associates will review your situation and help you understand every option available. We represent injured workers in Findlay and the surrounding area, and as local attorneys who grew up in northwest Ohio, we know this community and the local workers’ comp system well. When you call, you will speak directly with an attorney and work with the same people throughout your entire case.
Contact Schaffer & Associates today for a free consultation.