Were you injured in a construction accident in Waukegan, IL?
At Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers, we are trusted construction accident lawyers with more than 30 years of experience.
If you were hurt on a construction site in Waukegan, you may be able to recover your medical costs, lost wages, and other losses from a party other than your employer. Our Waukegan, IL construction accident lawyer can investigate the job site, identify every contractor and equipment company involved, and pursue a negligence claim against those responsible.
Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers represents construction workers and bystanders injured by unsafe work sites. Ask for a free case evaluation today.
Construction Accident Lawyer Waukegan, IL
A construction accident claim seeks compensation for injuries caused by unsafe conditions or practices on a building, demolition, or road project. Injured workers usually receive workers’ compensation through their employer. They may also bring a negligence claim against a general contractor, subcontractor, property owner, or equipment manufacturer whose conduct contributed to the injury. Bystanders hurt near a site can bring a claim directly.
BLS fatality data shows 26 fatal injuries in Illinois’ construction industry in 2024. Falls, slips, and trips caused 30 work deaths statewide that year across all industries. Nonfatal injuries are far more common, and a Waukegan construction accident attorney handles both.
Types of Construction Accident Cases We Handle in Waukegan
Construction injuries come from falls, equipment, materials, and site hazards. Our construction accident attorneys in Waukegan, IL handle claims such as the following:
- Slip and falls. Mud, ice, scrap material, and loose cords on walkways and stair towers cause same-level falls on active sites. Subcontracts often assign daily cleanup to a specific trade, which helps identify the company responsible for the hazard.
- Car accidents. Illinois lowers speed limits in highway construction zones when workers are present. A motorist who speeds through a lane closure and strikes a road crew member can be held responsible for the worker’s injuries.
- Pedestrian accidents. When work blocks a sidewalk, federal traffic control standards call for a marked alternate route for people on foot. A missing or poorly signed detour can leave pedestrians walking in the roadway beside moving traffic.
- Premises liability. Hiring a contractor does not automatically make a property owner responsible for injuries on the job. Liability can attach when the owner kept control over safety on the site or knew of a dangerous condition and did nothing.
- Truck accidents. Dump trucks, concrete mixers, and delivery vehicles injure workers both on job sites and in highway work zones.
- Catastrophic injuries. Spinal cord injuries, amputations, and severe burns often end a worker’s career in the trades. We document lifetime medical needs and lost earnings.
- Wrongful death. When a construction accident is fatal, the worker’s family may pursue a claim against the responsible third parties.
Why Choose Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers as My Construction Accident Lawyer in Waukegan, IL?
Looking Beyond the Employer to Every Party on the Site
Most construction sites involve a property owner, a general contractor, several subcontractors, and equipment suppliers. Each one may have controlled part of the work that caused your injury. Contractors working in the city must register with Waukegan before they can obtain building permits, and those records are often where our investigation begins. We also review subcontract agreements and insurance certificates, which often show which company agreed to cover injuries on the project. Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers brings that approach to every case as a personal injury lawyer in Waukegan, IL.
Joel Moses has more than 34 years of personal injury experience and holds a degree in economics from Michigan State University. Andrew Kass has spent more than 30 years representing people injured through the negligence of others. Our construction accident attorneys measure a worker’s lost earnings against the wages, overtime, and career path the injury took away.
What Our Clients Have Recovered
Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers has secured over $125 million for people injured in accidents. Published results, all from motorcycle and bicycle cases, include:
- $1,250,000 recovered for a motorcycle crash victim
- $446,724 for a rider hurt in a collision
- $300,000 in a motorcycle injury matter
- $100,000 for a bicyclist’s injury claim
No attorney fee is charged unless we recover compensation, and the first consultation is free.
Understanding Construction Accident Cases
What Is the Construction Accident Case Timeline?
A straightforward claim may resolve within a year. Cases with several defendants or permanent injuries usually take longer. A third-party construction claim generally moves through these stages:
- Incident reports, photographs, and identification of every company on site in the first days after the injury
- Review of safety records, contracts, and any inspection findings from OSHA’s Chicago North Area Office, which covers Lake County
- Medical treatment and documentation of your work restrictions
- A demand to each responsible party’s insurer, followed by negotiation
- A lawsuit in the Circuit Court of Lake County if needed, filed within the Illinois filing deadline of two years for most injury claims
- Discovery, mediation, and trial if the case does not settle
Any workers’ compensation claim proceeds separately and on its own schedule.
What Are Important Aspects of a Construction Accident Case?
The central question in most third-party cases is control. The court looks at which company directed the work, owned the equipment, or was responsible for safety in the area where the injury happened. Contracts between the owner, the general contractor, and the subcontractors often assign those duties in writing. Because a site changes as work continues, photographs and witness statements from the first days are often the only record of the conditions. Large projects, such as the permanent American Place casino that broke ground in Waukegan in June 2026, can place several construction firms and many trade contractors on one site.
Safety practices matter as evidence. According to OSHA, falls are among the most common causes of serious work-related injuries and deaths. Missing guardrails, untied ladders, and unprotected openings are strong indicators that a contractor did not use reasonable care. OSHA inspection reports, when available, can confirm what investigators found at the scene.
Fault is often shared. Under Illinois’ comparative negligence law, your recovery is reduced by your own share of fault and barred if that share exceeds 50%. Under the joint liability statute, a defendant found 25% or more at fault can be held responsible for the full award, and every liable defendant is responsible for your medical expenses. Your employer’s share of fault is excluded from that calculation.
Damages, Liability, and Compensation for Construction Accident Cases
A negligence claim against a third party allows recovery of the full range of damages Illinois law recognizes:
- Medical expenses. Emergency care, surgery, rehabilitation, and future treatment.
- Lost wages and earning capacity. Includes overtime and the value of a skilled trade career cut short.
- Out-of-pocket costs. Travel to appointments, medical equipment, household help, and other expenses you pay directly because of the injury.
- Pain and suffering. Physical pain, disfigurement, emotional distress, and loss of a normal life.
Each defendant’s liability depends on whether it owed you a duty and committed a breach of duty that caused your injury. Construction injuries often lead to long absences from work. When a worker cannot return to the same trade, a vocational evaluation and an economist’s analysis help measure the gap between the expected career and the work now available. A Waukegan construction accident lawyer presents that analysis to the insurer with supporting records.
Many cases resolve through negotiation with insurers, while others require a formal lawsuit before the defendants make a fair offer.
What Should You Bring to Your Construction Accident Consultation?
These documents help us identify the companies involved:
- Your employer’s name and the name of the general contractor, if you know it
- The project address and any site badges, sign-in sheets, or work orders
- Photographs of the site, the equipment, or your injuries
- Medical records and any workers’ compensation paperwork you have received
- Names of coworkers who saw the accident
A construction accident attorney from our office will review them with you and explain what else may be needed. By the end of the free consultation, you will know which parties may be liable and what a claim against them would involve.
Reach Out to Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers to Schedule a Consultation
Our Waukegan construction accident lawyer can determine which companies on your job site may share responsibility for your injury and what your claim could recover. Consultations are free. Kass & Moses Personal Injury Lawyers works on contingency, so you owe no attorney fees unless we recover compensation. Contact us to talk through your case.
