Construction accidents in San Diego can result in serious injuries, costly medical bills, and long-term financial and physical challenges. At Hulburt Law Firm, our experienced San Diego construction accident lawyers help injured workers and victims navigate complex claims, hold negligent contractors and companies accountable, and pursue maximum compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and ongoing care.
Whether you’ve been injured in a fall, equipment-related accident, or construction site collapse, our team provides dedicated legal guidance to ensure you receive the justice and support you deserve.
Injured in a San Diego construction accident? Get help today.

After a construction accident in San Diego, you may feel overwhelmed, uncertain, and concerned about your recovery and financial future. Dealing with serious injuries, mounting medical bills, and complex liability issues involving employers or third parties can create significant stress.
Hulburt Law Firm helps construction accident victims navigate this challenging process, providing compassionate guidance, protecting your rights, and pursuing maximum compensation for medical treatment, lost income, and long-term recovery needs.
Falls from heights and scaffolding accidents are among the most common and dangerous construction accidents in San Diego, often resulting in serious or catastrophic injuries. Hulburt Law Firm helps injured workers and bystanders pursue compensation for medical expenses, lost wages, and long-term care while holding negligent parties accountable.
Trench collapses, excavation accidents, and structural failures on construction sites in San Diego can lead to severe injuries or fatalities. Hulburt Law Firm provides experienced legal guidance to help victims navigate complex liability claims and recover compensation for medical costs, lost income, and long-term impacts.
Accidents involving cranes, hoists, and heavy machinery in San Diego construction zones can cause life-altering injuries. Hulburt Law Firm helps victims hold contractors, operators, and companies accountable while pursuing full compensation for injuries, rehabilitation, and financial losses.
Construction workers in San Diego are at risk of being struck by falling objects or caught in or between equipment, leading to serious injuries. Hulburt Law Firm advocates for victims, helping them secure compensation for medical bills, lost wages, and long-term recovery needs.
Electrocution, explosion, and burn injuries on construction sites in San Diego can have devastating and long-lasting effects. Hulburt Law Firm assists victims in pursuing claims against responsible parties to recover compensation for medical treatment, rehabilitation, and ongoing care.
Conor and Leslie Hulburt, founders of the Hulburt Law Firm, are dedicated San Diego construction accident lawyers with extensive experience helping clients recover maximum compensation after serious or catastrophic injuries. They understand the physical, emotional, and financial challenges victims face following construction accidents, and are committed to guiding clients through every step of the legal process.
Known for their genuine care, dedication, and strategic advocacy, Conor and Leslie have built a reputation as trusted personal injury attorneys in San Diego, providing top-tier representation for construction accident victims and ensuring justice is served.

Our experienced attorneys have a proven track record of achieving extraordinary results in construction accident cases.
Jury verdict against Caltrans for a 13-year-old boy who was hit by a car while using a dangerous crosswalk.
A sudden tire failure caused an SUV to fishtail and crash into a tree on the side of a San Diego County highway, killing a beloved husband and father.
A massive, improperly installed gate collapsed on a sub-contracted worker who was asked by the general contractor to paint it, causing his tragic death.
A concrete block wall wasn't properly supported and fell on a construction worker in El Cajon, killing him.
A dump truck driver failed to "get out and look" before backing up into a construction worker, crushing his leg against a bulldozer.
Concrete workers left unsecured plywood over a second-story gap at a condo build in Carlsbad. A framer stepped on the plywood and fell through the gap.
Forget surface-level research and mediocre inquiries. We dive deep to conduct extensive investigations and gather evidence in order to build your strongest case.
We use technology to your advantage. By using video and photography, scene recreations, and graphics, we tell your story in a visually-compelling way that other law firms cannot match.
Defense attorneys and insurance companies know us and respect us. We assess the full extent of your damages and pursue all responsible parties in order to maximize the compensation you deserve.
Catastrophic injury and wrongful death cases are rarely simple. We have taken on the largest corporations, insurance companies, and defense firms in the country and won.
We don’t just talk the talk, we walk the walk. From providing regular case updates to achieving life-changing results, we genuinely care about each and every one of our clients.
Throughout the process, we keep you informed, answer any questions you may have, and provide ongoing support. We limit the number of cases we take on so that we can dedicate the time and attention needed for each case.
With the Hulburt Law Firm by your side, you can focus on your recovery while knowing that your legal claims are being taken care of. If you or a loved one has been involved in a construction accident, contact us today for a free case review.
Understand and manage the complexities of your case with an expert legal team on your side.
Our legal team collects crucial evidence to present a compelling case.
We handle negotiations with insurance companies and opposing parties in order to achieve the highest settlements possible.
Our experienced attorneys provide skilled representation if your case goes to trial.
In your free case review, we listen to what happened on the jobsite, how you were injured, and what questions you and your family have. We look at any incident reports, photos, safety notices, or insurance letters you already have and explain, in plain language, the difference between workers’ compensation and a potential third-party claim. Our goal is to give you an honest assessment of your options, not a sales pitch.
Once you decide to move forward and the scope of work is signed, we begin a focused investigation into the construction site and the companies involved. That can include obtaining incident and OSHA/Cal/OSHA reports, reviewing contracts and safety plans, collecting site photos and video, interviewing witnesses and co-workers, and identifying which contractors, subcontractors, property owners, or equipment manufacturers may share responsibility. We work to secure critical evidence early, before it gets lost or rewritten.
To fully explain how and why the incident happened—and how it has affected you—we work with carefully chosen experts. Depending on the case, that may include construction safety professionals, engineers, accident reconstructionists, medical specialists, life-care planners, and economists. They help us analyze jobsite practices, identify safety violations, document your injuries, and calculate the financial impact on you and your family over time.
Using the facts and expert input, we develop a tailored legal strategy for your construction accident case. That includes identifying all potential defendants, understanding how workers’ compensation interacts with any third-party lawsuit, and carefully assessing your medical bills, lost income, future care needs, and non-economic harms. We aim to present a clear, evidence-based picture of what this incident has taken from you, and what accountability looks like under California law.
We take over communications with the insurance companies and defense lawyers so you don’t have to. In construction cases, there are often multiple insurers—covering general contractors, subcontractors, property owners, and manufacturers—each trying to shift blame and minimize your injuries. We present the evidence we’ve gathered, challenge efforts to downplay safety violations, and negotiate with an eye toward full and fair compensation. Throughout this process, we keep you informed, explain any offers, and help you evaluate your choices
If the companies involved are unwilling to resolve the case fairly, we are prepared to file a lawsuit and take your construction accident case to court. Our trial attorneys have experience presenting complex jobsite incidents to judges and juries, including explaining safety rules, industry standards, and the realities of construction work. At trial, we tell your story through your testimony, co-workers, experts, and carefully prepared exhibits so decision-makers understand exactly how and why this happened—and what it has meant for you and your family.
Construction workers injured on the job in and around San Diego are often dealing with two different legal systems at once: workers’ compensation and potential “third-party” personal injury claims. Understanding how these pieces fit together—especially on multi-employer jobsites—is key to protecting your rights after a serious construction accident.
In California’s workers’ compensation system, most injured construction workers are entitled to benefits without having to prove that anyone was at fault for the accident. In exchange, workers’ comp is usually the worker’s “exclusive remedy” against their direct employer—meaning you typically cannot sue the employer in civil court for pain and suffering if you’re covered by workers’ compensation.
Typical workers’ compensation benefits may include:
Workers’ compensation is an important safety net, but it does not provide damages for pain and suffering or the full range of losses that may be available in a civil lawsuit. That’s where third-party claims come in.
A third-party claim is a separate personal injury or wrongful death case against someone other than the injured worker’s employer—for example:
These third-party cases can provide compensation that workers’ compensation does not, including:
When an injured worker recovers money in a third-party case after receiving workers’ compensation benefits, the workers’ comp insurer often has a lien or reimbursement right against part of that recovery. Managing that lien properly—and negotiating it down when appropriate—can significantly affect how much the worker actually takes home.
Learn more about pursuing third-party claims after a construction accident.
Time limits, known as statutes of limitations, are critical in construction cases. Missing a deadline can mean losing your right to pursue a claim in court, even if your case is otherwise strong.
In general:
Because these time limits can vary based on the facts, the type of claim, and who is involved, injured workers and families are generally well-served by talking with a construction accident attorney as soon as reasonably possible after an incident.
After any serious construction accident, safety and medical care come first. Most workers will:
If you’re able, it can also be helpful to document the scene with photos or video of the area, equipment involved, and any visible injuries, and note the names of coworkers or witnesses who saw what happened.
In many cases, it makes sense to consult both a workers’ compensation lawyer and a construction accident attorney who handles third-party claims, so you understand how the two systems interact and what additional rights you may have beyond basic workers’ comp benefits.
Liability on a construction site is often shared among several entities, and figuring out who is responsible can be complex. Potentially responsible parties may include:
An experienced construction accident firm will typically focus on third-party defendants—companies or individuals other than your direct employer—so that you can seek compensation beyond what workers’ comp provides.
Construction accidents can happen many different ways, but some patterns appear again and again on California jobsites:
Many of these events are preventable when basic safety rules are followed, equipment is properly maintained, and jobsite supervision is adequate.
The type and amount of compensation available depends on the details of your case and which claims are involved:
Because every case is different, a lawyer can help identify all potential sources of compensation and how they work together in your particular situation.
In many construction cases, both systems are in play at the same time:
When there is a third-party recovery, the workers’ compensation insurer may assert a lien or reimbursement right so the worker is not paid twice for the same medical bills or wage loss. Negotiating that lien is an important part of maximizing what the injured worker actually receives at the end of the case.
If a workers’ compensation claim is denied—whether in whole or in part—workers generally have the right to challenge the decision through the workers’ compensation system. That process may involve:
At the same time, it may still be possible to pursue a separate third-party claim in civil court if another company or person contributed to the accident. Those two tracks can move forward together, but each has its own rules and timelines.
In most cases, no—you generally cannot sue your direct employer in civil court for a work-related injury because workers’ compensation is intended to be the exclusive remedy against the employer.
However, there are limited exceptions where a lawsuit against the employer may be possible, such as:
Even when an employer cannot be sued directly, injured workers may still bring third-party claims against other entities whose negligence contributed to the accident.
To get the most value from an initial consultation, it’s helpful—but not required—to bring:
If you don’t have all of this yet, that’s okay. The first meeting is often about understanding what happened, what questions you have, and how the firm can help investigate and protect your rights.
Most construction accident firms, including Hulburt Law Firm, work on a contingency fee in third-party cases. That generally means:
There may also be case costs (such as filing fees, expert costs, records charges) that are advanced by the firm and reimbursed from any settlement or verdict, depending on the fee agreement. Reviewing and asking questions about the written fee agreement helps avoid surprises.
Although every case is different, many construction accident matters follow a similar path:
Throughout the process, a good firm will keep you updated, explain major decisions, and involve you in assessing any settlement offers.
A thorough construction accident investigation is often multi-layered, and may include:
The goal is to identify what went wrong, who had control over the conditions, and how the event could have been prevented—all of which inform liability and damages in the case.
When a loved one is killed in a construction accident, certain family members may have the right to pursue:
These cases can be emotionally difficult and legally complex, especially where multiple companies and insurers are involved. A construction accident and wrongful death firm can help families understand which claims are available, who may file them, and what deadlines apply.
“Workers’ compensation immunity” refers to the rule that, when workers’ compensation applies, an injured employee usually cannot sue their employer in tort for a workplace injury; workers’ comp is the exclusive remedy against that employer, subject to narrow exceptions.
That immunity typically extends to:
At the same time, third-party claims against other responsible companies (for example, general contractors, property owners, or manufacturers) remain available and are a central focus of many construction injury cases.
The Privette doctrine comes from a series of California Supreme Court decisions holding that, in many situations, a property owner or general contractor who hires an independent contractor is not liable in tort for injuries to that contractor’s employees, because responsibility for workplace safety is presumed to have been delegated to the contractor and workers’ compensation is available.
Over time, courts have recognized important exceptions to this rule, including situations where:
Construction accident firms that regularly handle these cases know how to analyze whether Privette applies and how to develop evidence to fit within recognized exceptions when the facts support it.
Time limits for construction accident lawsuits follow the general personal injury and wrongful death statutes of limitations, with some important nuances:
Because these rules are technical and there are exceptions, injured workers and families are usually advised to consult counsel promptly to identify and protect applicable deadlines.
A workers’ compensation lien is a reimbursement claim that the workers’ comp insurer may assert against any money the injured worker recovers from a third-party lawsuit. The idea is that the worker should not receive a “double recovery” for the same medical bills or wage loss—once from workers’ comp and again from the civil case.
Key points include:
Experienced construction accident firms routinely address these liens as part of resolving the overall case.
Cal/OSHA is the state agency responsible for enforcing workplace safety laws on California jobsites. After certain serious injuries or fatalities, the agency may:
Cal/OSHA’s findings do not control the outcome of a civil case, but the reports, photographs, and witness statements generated during the investigation can be valuable evidence when evaluating and pursuing a construction accident claim.
Hulburt Law Firm proudly serves construction accident victims throughout San Diego County, providing experienced legal guidance, compassionate support, and aggressive advocacy to help clients recover maximum compensation for injuries, medical expenses, lost wages, and long-term impacts.

Simply fill out the form or call 619.821.0500 to receive a free case review. We’ll evaluate what happened, your injuries, and potential defendants to determine how we can best help you.