When a contractor, property owner, equipment manufacturer, or another party outside your employer causes your injuries, you may have a third-party personal injury claim. Hulburt Law Firm helps injured construction workers and their families hold responsible parties accountable.
Our attorneys have recovered more than $150 million for personal injury and wrongful death clients, including construction accident recoveries ranging from $1.85 million to $16.55 million. We investigate how the accident happened, uncover the safety failures that caused it, and pursue compensation for your injuries and losses.
Find out whether you have a third-party construction accident claim.

A construction accident may involve unsafe work by another contractor, defective equipment, or a dangerous condition on the property. We investigate the companies involved and determine whether an injured worker or family can pursue a third-party claim.
Our attorneys handle serious and fatal construction accidents.
Falls from roofs, scaffolds, ladders, lifts, and unprotected openings can cause catastrophic injuries or death. Missing guardrails, unsecured floor coverings, unstable scaffolding, and defective fall-protection equipment can put workers at serious risk.
We investigate whether another contractor created the hazard, a property owner failed to disclose a concealed danger, or defective equipment contributed to the fall. These facts can help establish a third-party claim against those responsible.
Trench cave-ins, excavation failures, and collapsing walls or structures can cause crushing injuries, suffocation, and death. Inadequate shoring, unsupported soil, improper demolition, and heavy equipment operating near excavation edges can contribute to these accidents.
We investigate whether another contractor’s work, defective shoring equipment, or failures in engineering or site coordination contributed to the collapse. Our attorneys have recovered $7.225 million in a case involving a construction worker killed by an inadequately supported concrete block wall.
Cranes, forklifts, excavators, and aerial lifts can cause devastating injuries when equipment overturns, loads shift, or workers are struck or crushed. Improper rigging, unsafe operation, inadequate maintenance, and equipment defects can contribute to these accidents.
We investigate whether an equipment operator employed by another company, a rigging contractor, a rental or maintenance provider, or an equipment manufacturer contributed to the incident. Identifying who operated, supplied, and maintained the equipment can help establish responsibility for a third-party claim.
Falling materials, swinging loads, moving vehicles, and unguarded machinery can strike, crush, or trap construction workers. These accidents may result from unsecured loads, unsafe backing, missing barricades, or poor coordination among contractors.
We investigate whether another contractor, trucking company, equipment operator, or manufacturer contributed to the accident. Conor Hulburt recovered $6 million for a construction worker whose leg was crushed when a dump truck driver backed into him.
Learn more about construction vehicle accident claims, including incidents involving dump trucks, forklifts, and other moving equipment.
Contact with power lines, exposed wiring, or defective welding equipment can cause electrocution and severe burns. Welding and cutting near flammable materials can also trigger fires or explosions, leaving workers with permanent injuries.
We investigate whether another contractor failed to de-energize electrical systems, a utility failed to address a power-line hazard, or a supplier provided defective equipment or gas cylinders. These failures may support a third-party claim against the responsible company.
Unsecured ladders, unstable roofing, uncovered openings, and inadequate fall protection can cause life-changing injuries or death. Workers may fall when a ladder shifts, a roof surface gives way, or safety equipment fails.
We investigate whether another contractor created an unsafe condition, a property owner failed to disclose a concealed hazard, or a defective ladder or fall-protection system contributed to the accident. These circumstances may support a third-party claim.
Demolition work can expose workers to unstable walls, falling debris, and hidden electrical or gas lines. Unexpected collapses, contact with live utilities, and explosions can cause catastrophic injuries or death.
We investigate whether another contractor removed structural supports, failed to disconnect utilities, or created a hazard through poorly coordinated demolition work. Engineering errors and defective equipment may also provide grounds for a third-party claim.
Conor Hulburt and Leslie Hulburt represent injured workers and families in third-party construction accident claims. They investigate the contractors, equipment, and safety failures involved to build cases against those responsible for serious injuries and wrongful deaths.
Conor’s professional recognition includes Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer rating. Best Lawyers also named him the 2027 San Diego “Lawyer of the Year” for Product Liability Litigation – Plaintiffs.
His construction accident results include $16.55 million for a fatal gate collapse, $7.225 million for a fatal wall collapse, and $6 million for a worker injured by a backing dump truck.
Hulburt Law Firm intentionally accepts fewer cases so each client receives personal attention and each case receives the investigation, resources, and preparation it deserves.

Our attorneys have recovered compensation for workers and families in cases involving unsafe construction practices, structural collapses, and negligent vehicle operation.
An improperly installed gate collapsed on a subcontracted worker after the general contractor asked him to paint it, killing him.
An inadequately supported concrete block wall collapsed onto a construction worker in El Cajon, causing his death.
A dump truck driver backed into a construction worker without first checking that the path was clear, crushing his leg against a bulldozer.
We listen to what happened, discuss your injuries, and evaluate whether someone outside your employer may be responsible. We explain your options and answer your questions.
We act quickly to preserve evidence before conditions change. This may include site photographs, video, equipment, witness accounts, and Cal/OSHA records.
We examine contracts, safety plans, and jobsite practices to determine which contractors, property owners, equipment providers, or other parties may bear responsibility.
We work with appropriate experts to explain how the accident happened and document your injuries, lost earnings, future care needs, and pain and suffering.
We present the evidence to the responsible companies and insurers and pursue a settlement that reflects your losses. We also address workers’ compensation liens that may affect your recovery.
When a lawsuit is necessary, we pursue testimony, company records, and expert evidence to strengthen your case. We prepare to present your case at trial if a fair settlement cannot be reached.
When someone other than your employer is legally responsible for a construction accident, California law may allow you to pursue a third-party personal injury claim. These claims can involve negligent contractors, unsafe equipment, dangerous property conditions, or other failures that cause serious injuries.
A construction project may involve numerous companies with different responsibilities. Depending on the evidence and applicable legal duties, a third-party claim may involve:
A company’s presence on the project does not automatically make it liable. We examine contracts, jobsite practices, equipment records, and witness testimony to determine what each company did and how its actions contributed to the injury.
A serious construction injury can affect your ability to work, care for yourself, and enjoy daily life. Depending on the circumstances, a third-party claim may seek compensation for:
After a fatal accident, eligible family members may pursue wrongful death damages, including lost financial support and the loss of their loved one’s companionship and guidance.
Unlike workers’ compensation, a third-party claim allows recovery for pain and suffering. When workers’ compensation benefits have also been paid, reimbursement claims or liens may affect the amount you ultimately receive. We address these issues as part of your case.
California’s Privette doctrine can limit claims against a property owner or general contractor that hires an independent contractor. Generally, responsibility for performing the contracted work safely is delegated to that contractor.
Exceptions may apply when:
A hiring party’s request that workers use its defective equipment may also support liability when it contributes to the injury.
We examine contracts, instructions, site practices, and witness testimony to determine whether an exception applies. What the hiring party actually did—not simply its title on the project—can be critical to the case.
California generally allows two years to file a third-party personal injury lawsuit after an injury. Wrongful death lawsuits also generally have a two-year deadline, usually measured from the date of death. Exceptions may affect the deadline in a particular case.
If a California state or local government entity may be responsible, a formal claim generally must be presented within six months. This is a separate requirement that comes before filing a lawsuit, and additional deadlines apply afterward.
Workers’ compensation claims have their own deadlines. Pursuing those benefits does not replace the steps required to protect a third-party claim.
Acting promptly also helps preserve evidence. Construction sites change, equipment is moved or repaired, and video may be erased. Early investigation can protect the evidence needed to establish responsibility.
Our guide to fatal workplace accident claims explains the legal options and deadlines that may apply after a construction-related death.
We examine jobsite records, equipment, and witness testimony to uncover how the accident happened and who may be responsible.
We use photography, 3D scanning, and animation to make complex construction accident evidence clear.
We pursue compensation for your injuries and losses while addressing liens that may reduce your recovery.
Conor Hulburt’s recognition includes Super Lawyers, The Best Lawyers in America, and a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent peer rating.
We accept fewer cases so each client receives personal attention, clear communication, and thorough preparation.
Get medical care and report the accident to your employer or supervisor promptly. If you can do so safely, photograph the scene and equipment, save relevant messages, and collect witnesses’ contact information.
Speak with a construction accident attorney early to evaluate whether someone outside your employer may be responsible. A prompt investigation can preserve evidence before jobsite conditions change or equipment is removed.
These steps can be especially important after falls from heights, where the condition of the scaffold, ladder, roof, opening, or fall-protection equipment may become critical evidence.
Yes, if someone other than your employer is legally responsible for your injuries. Receiving workers’ compensation does not, by itself, prevent a separate third-party claim.
The claims must be coordinated because the workers’ compensation insurer may seek reimbursement from a settlement or verdict.
There is no reliable formula for valuing a serious construction accident case. The assessment depends on the strength of the liability evidence, how the injury has changed your life, and the medical care and support you will need in the future.
A lasting inability to return to your trade, for example, can affect both future earnings and daily independence. Our guide to common injuries in construction accidents explains the medical and long-term consequences that may affect a claim.
Available insurance and other sources of recovery, any allocation of fault, and workers’ compensation reimbursement claims also matter. We investigate these issues before advising you about the value of a potential settlement.
Yes. A workers’ compensation attorney handles your claim for benefits, while our firm investigates whether another company or person is legally responsible for your injuries.
We can coordinate with your attorney to pursue a third-party case and address issues that affect both claims, including liens and reimbursement rights.
A workers’ compensation claim and a third-party lawsuit may proceed at the same time. Workers’ compensation provides benefits through the employer, while a third-party case seeks damages from another person or company that can be held legally responsible for the injury.
A denied workers’ compensation claim does not automatically defeat a third-party case. Each claim has its own requirements and deadlines. If your benefits are denied, a workers’ compensation attorney can help you evaluate that dispute. Hulburt Law Firm handles third-party personal injury and wrongful death cases, not workers’ compensation claims.
If the employer or its insurer paid benefits, it may seek repayment from your third-party recovery through a lien or reimbursement claim. The amount owed can depend on the benefits paid, attorney’s fees and costs, the employer’s share of fault, and applicable law. We review these claims as part of evaluating any proposed settlement.
Our guide to third-party liability in California construction accidents explains how the two claims may work together.
The workers’ compensation insurer may seek reimbursement for benefits it paid through a lien against your third-party recovery. The amount claimed is not necessarily the amount that must be repaid.
We review the lien, evaluate potential reductions, and negotiate where appropriate to protect your net recovery.
Bring what you already have. You do not need a complete set of records before contacting us. Helpful information includes:
If equipment was involved, tell us where it is and who has it. Do not repair, test, alter, or discard items in your possession. Preserving their condition can be especially important in equipment-related construction accident cases.
The first meeting is an opportunity to explain what happened, discuss your concerns, and identify the next steps. We can help determine which additional records are needed.
After losing a loved one in a construction accident, your family may have several legal options:
Hulburt Law Firm handles third-party wrongful death and survival cases. We can investigate what happened and help identify who is eligible to bring a claim. You do not need to have every record or know which company was responsible before contacting us.
Learn more about fatal workplace accidents and wrongful death claims.
Cal/OSHA enforces California workplace safety rules. After a serious or fatal construction accident, it may inspect the site, interview witnesses, review records, and issue citations or penalties. Employers have separate duties to report qualifying incidents promptly under Title 8, section 342.
Cal/OSHA does not represent your family or award compensation in a civil case. Its investigation is separate from workers’ compensation and any third-party lawsuit.
Investigation records, such as photographs and witness information, can help us understand what happened. However, Cal/OSHA citations themselves are generally inadmissible in a third-party injury or wrongful death lawsuit. The applicable safety standards may still help establish negligence when the legal requirements are met.
Our guide to California construction safety regulations explains the workplace rules in greater detail.
We handle third-party construction accident cases on a contingency-fee basis, meaning you pay no attorney’s fee unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial case review is free.
Before you hire us, we explain the fee percentage and how case expenses are handled in a written agreement.
Hulburt Law Firm represents injured construction workers and families in third-party claims throughout San Diego County, including San Diego, Chula Vista, Oceanside, Carlsbad, Escondido, El Cajon, La Mesa, Poway, Encinitas, San Marcos, and surrounding communities.

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.