Towson Construction Worker Injury Attorney
Construction sites in Towson and throughout Baltimore County are among the most hazardous work environments in Maryland. Falls from scaffolding, crane accidents, trench collapses, electrocution, and heavy equipment injuries happen with regularity, and when they do, the workers who suffer them often face months or years of recovery, significant medical costs, and the very real possibility that they may never return to the same type of work. A Towson construction worker injury attorney at Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP has spent 35 years helping Maryland workers and their families understand what they are owed and pursue every avenue of recovery available under the law.
Why Construction Injury Claims in Baltimore County Are More Complicated Than Most
Workers’ compensation exists to provide a streamlined path to benefits for injured employees, and most workers are entitled to file a claim through their employer’s insurer. But construction worksites are rarely simple single-employer environments. On any given day in Towson, a mid-rise residential project or a commercial renovation might involve a general contractor, several subcontractors, equipment lessors, temporary staffing agencies, and independent tradespeople working side by side. That layered structure directly affects who is responsible when someone gets hurt.
Determining your employer of record matters enormously. If you were hired through a staffing agency, your employer for workers’ comp purposes may be the agency, not the contractor who directed your daily work. If a subcontractor lacks proper insurance, Maryland law may shift liability upward to the general contractor. These are not administrative technicalities. They shape what benefits you can access, who pays them, and whether a third-party civil claim is available alongside your workers’ comp filing.
Third-party liability claims deserve particular attention in construction cases. Workers’ compensation typically bars a direct lawsuit against your employer, but it does not prevent a separate personal injury claim against a negligent party who is not your employer. On a construction site, that might be the general contractor whose supervisor ignored a known fall hazard, a subcontractor whose employees created a dangerous condition, or an equipment manufacturer that put a defective crane or saw into the field. Pursuing both a workers’ comp claim and a third-party claim at the same time requires careful coordination, and it can meaningfully increase total recovery.
The Injuries That Drive These Cases and What They Actually Cost
Falls remain the leading cause of construction worker deaths and serious injuries nationally, and Baltimore County is no exception. A fall from an unguarded rooftop or unstable scaffolding can produce traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and fractures that require multiple surgeries and long-term rehabilitation. The medical costs alone can reach into the hundreds of thousands of dollars before accounting for lost wages or permanent disability.
Electrocution injuries are particularly common on sites where trenching, framing, and mechanical work overlap with live electrical systems. Workers struck by electrical current frequently survive with nerve damage, cardiac complications, and lasting cognitive effects that are not always apparent in the days immediately following the accident. Documenting the full scope of those injuries requires ongoing medical evaluation, and insurance carriers have a habit of moving toward closure before the medical picture is complete.
Crush injuries from falling materials, caught-in/caught-between accidents involving machinery, and exposure to silica dust or other hazardous substances represent additional categories of harm that appear regularly in the Maryland workers’ compensation system. Occupational disease claims, including those involving long-term silica or asbestos exposure common in older Towson structures, operate under different filing timelines than traumatic injury claims, which creates additional complexity for workers who may not connect their illness to a workplace exposure that occurred years earlier.
Beyond the medical costs, total wage loss needs to be calculated carefully. Maryland workers’ compensation provides temporary total disability benefits based on a portion of average weekly wages, but that calculation does not always capture overtime that was a reliable part of a worker’s income. The firm’s appellate record includes Montgomery County v. Deibler, which established that workers on light duty who had been earning consistent overtime can still receive compensation reflecting those prior earnings. That principle matters for construction workers whose regular pay routinely includes overtime hours.
How Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP Approaches Construction Cases
This firm was founded on the premise that workers with complicated cases deserve full representation, not just the claims that are easiest to win. One of the firm’s founders authored the two-volume treatise that functions as the primary reference on Maryland workers’ compensation law. That depth of knowledge informs how the firm evaluates construction injury claims from the outset.
When a Towson construction worker comes to the firm, the attorneys look at the full picture from the beginning. Who were the parties on site? Was the equipment properly maintained and correctly rated for the task? Did the general contractor or a subcontractor violate OSHA regulations in a way that contributed to the accident? Is there a product liability angle involving defective tools or machinery? These questions determine whether the case belongs solely in the workers’ compensation system or whether a civil claim in Baltimore County Circuit Court should run alongside it.
For cases that require it, this firm takes cases to trial and to appeal. The firm has handled hundreds of workers’ compensation jury trials and argued cases before Maryland’s highest courts. Construction injury cases that turn on contested liability or disputed causation benefit from attorneys who are prepared to litigate aggressively beyond the Commission level when the circumstances demand it.
What Injured Construction Workers in Towson Should Understand About Their Claims
How long do I have to file a workers’ compensation claim after a construction site injury in Maryland?
Maryland law generally requires that a workers’ compensation claim be filed within 60 days of the date of injury, though the statute of limitations extends to two years. However, waiting too long can complicate your claim significantly, particularly if injuries evolve or medical records need to be gathered. Reporting the injury to your employer promptly and in writing is an important first step.
What if the general contractor says I was an independent contractor, not an employee?
The classification of a worker as an independent contractor rather than an employee is often disputed in construction cases, and Maryland law provides its own standards for making that determination. The Workers’ Compensation Commission examines the actual nature of the working relationship, not merely how the contractor labeled it. Misclassification is common in construction, and an attorney can challenge an improper designation on your behalf.
Can I sue someone other than my employer after a construction site accident?
Yes. Workers’ compensation immunity generally applies only to your direct employer. If a separate contractor, equipment manufacturer, property owner, or another party contributed to the conditions that caused your injury, a civil lawsuit against that party may be available in addition to your workers’ comp claim. These two tracks can run simultaneously and require careful coordination to avoid jeopardizing either one.
What happens if my employer did not have workers’ compensation insurance?
Maryland has mechanisms in place to assist workers whose employers failed to maintain required coverage. The Uninsured Employers’ Fund can provide a path to benefits in those situations. Additionally, if the uninsured contractor was working under a general contractor, that general contractor may bear direct liability for the subcontractor’s failure to carry coverage.
Will workers’ compensation cover my full lost wages?
Workers’ compensation temporary total disability benefits replace a portion of your pre-injury average weekly wages, not the full amount. For many workers, particularly those who regularly worked overtime, the standard calculation may undervalue their actual loss. An attorney can review how your average weekly wage was calculated and challenge an undercount of your regular earnings.
My employer is pressuring me to return to work before my doctor says I am ready. What can I do?
Your employer cannot legally force you to return to work before you receive a medical release. If you return to modified duty and the job is not genuinely consistent with your restrictions, you retain the right to seek additional benefits. Document any pressure you receive, keep records of your medical appointments and restrictions, and consult with an attorney before making any decisions about returning to work.
What if I was injured while working on a federally funded construction project in or near Towson?
Federal construction projects may implicate different legal frameworks, including the Davis-Bacon Act for wage questions and potentially federal contractor regulations. Whether Maryland workers’ compensation law applies, or whether a different scheme governs, depends on the specific nature of the project and your employment status. This is a situation where early legal analysis is particularly valuable.
Talking to a Construction Injury Lawyer in Towson
Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP serves injured construction workers throughout the Towson area and across Baltimore County, with offices positioned throughout Maryland to make legal counsel accessible to workers wherever they are based. The firm has grown over 35 years to more than 20 attorneys and counts Spanish-speaking attorneys and staff among its team. When a Towson construction injury attorney from this firm takes your case, that attorney stays with you as your primary point of contact from the initial evaluation through resolution. Construction cases rarely resolve quickly, and the workers who fare best are those who have consistent representation from someone who understands the full scope of what happened and what can be recovered. Contact Berman | Sobin | Gross LLP to discuss your situation.
