“Eman at Yazdchi Law was extremely professional, responsive, and supportive at all times. He and his staff exceeded all of my expectations.”
Andrea Dalessandro
✦ Board-Certified Specialist in Workers’ Compensation Law — State Bar of California ✦
Construction is California’s most dangerous industry. When you’re injured, experience matters.
By Eman Yazdchi, Esq. · Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law
Construction has been a constant in Van Nuys for years as the San Fernando Valley's administrative hub adds commercial space, modernizes aging infrastructure, and builds new residential developments. From the renovation of government buildings in the Civic Center area to commercial projects along Sherman Way to the infrastructure work around Van Nuys Airport, construction crews are working across the community every day. They are also getting injured at rates that far exceed the average for other industries. If you are a construction worker hurt on a Van Nuys job site, Yazdchi Law P.C. provides the specialized legal representation your case demands.
Construction consistently ranks among the most dangerous industries in California. Falls, struck-by incidents, electrocutions, and caught-between accidents — collectively known as the "fatal four" — account for the majority of construction fatalities and a disproportionate share of serious injuries. Cal/OSHA imposes extensive safety regulations on construction operations, codified in Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations, covering everything from scaffold requirements to trenching safety to fall protection.
Under the workers' compensation system (LC section 3600), injured construction workers receive benefits regardless of fault. But construction injuries often involve layers of complexity that standard workplace injury claims do not:
Multiple employers on one site — General contractors, subcontractors, sub-subcontractors, and specialty trades all operate simultaneously. Determining which employer's insurance covers your claim requires analysis of employment relationships and contracts.
Third-party liability — Unlike a typical workers' comp claim where you can only recover from your employer's insurer, construction injuries frequently involve negligent third parties — property owners who failed to maintain safe conditions, general contractors who violated safety rules, equipment manufacturers whose defective products caused injury. These third-party claims are pursued through civil court and can yield damages far beyond what workers' comp provides, including pain and suffering.
Serious and willful misconduct — Construction employers who knowingly violate Cal/OSHA safety standards face a 50 percent penalty enhancement on your permanent disability award under LC section 4553. On sites where safety shortcuts are systemic, this penalty can substantially increase your recovery.
Van Nuys construction projects frequently involve multi-story commercial buildings, government facility renovations, and infrastructure work that requires workers to operate at height. Cal/OSHA requires fall protection at 7.5 feet and above in construction (8 CCR section 1669), including guardrails, safety nets, or personal fall arrest systems. When contractors fail to provide this protection and a worker falls, the resulting injuries — spinal fractures, traumatic brain injury, shattered limbs — are among the most severe and highest-value claims in workers' comp.
Excavators, cranes, concrete trucks, and forklifts are ubiquitous on Van Nuys construction sites. Workers on foot are struck by backing vehicles, loads swing free from cranes and hit bystanders, and operators lose control of equipment on uneven terrain. These incidents produce crush injuries, amputations, and fatalities. Proper traffic control plans, spotters, and equipment maintenance are required by Cal/OSHA but frequently neglected.
Electrical work on new construction and renovation projects in Van Nuys exposes workers to arc flash, contact with energized lines, and electrocution from improperly de-energized circuits. Older government buildings and commercial structures being remodeled may have outdated wiring that creates hidden hazards. Proper lockout/tagout procedures under 8 CCR section 3314 are essential but not always followed.
Underground utility work associated with Van Nuys development projects requires trenching, and unshored or inadequately shored trenches collapse with devastating consequences. A cubic yard of soil weighs approximately 3,000 pounds — workers buried in a trench collapse face asphyxiation and crush injuries. Cal/OSHA trenching standards (8 CCR section 1541) require protective systems for excavations deeper than five feet.
Construction injury claims require an attorney who understands not just workers' compensation law, but also Cal/OSHA regulations, third-party civil liability, and the employment structures unique to the construction industry. Attorney Eman Yazdchi is a Board Certified Specialist in Workers' Compensation Law, and his practice includes extensive experience with the multi-layered claims that construction injuries generate.
Van Nuys construction injury cases are filed at the WCAB District Office located right in the community. Yazdchi Law appears at this office regularly, giving us direct familiarity with the judges who will hear your case, the defense firms that represent the major construction insurance carriers, and the medical evaluators commonly appointed in construction injury disputes. When we prepare your case for settlement conference or trial, we do so with specific knowledge of the Van Nuys WCAB environment.
We also work with medical experts who specialize in construction-related orthopedic injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and occupational lung disease — the types of injuries most commonly seen on Van Nuys job sites.
Injured at work in Van Nuys? Call (661) 273-1780
Tap to call →Construction injuries are serious, and the legal claims they create are complex. Multiple parties may be liable, evidence on job sites changes daily as work continues, and Cal/OSHA investigations must be initiated promptly. Yazdchi Law P.C. offers a free consultation to evaluate your construction injury claim. We will identify every responsible party, pursue every available benefit and penalty, and fight for the maximum recovery at the Van Nuys WCAB and in civil court if appropriate. Do not wait — contact us now.
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