The United States is a heavily developed nation, and with many urban centers and businesses across the country, there is a constant need for construction crews to build or renovate all sorts of buildings, ranging from suburban homes to banks, schools, shopping malls, and skyscrapers. These buildings do not appear overnight; many construction crews will work hard to build these structures, but construction is known for being a job that involves personal injury risk, and a project may be compromised if there are late payments, safety code violations, or other disputes or complications between the crews on a project. This is why the proper paperwork exists, and construction law, to ensure that such disputes can be settled and a project can resume. A construction law firm is one where a construction attorney may be found and hired in case of a complication or dispute at the project site, and a construction law firm can end a dispute quickly and get everything back on track. Why might a crew look for a nearby construction law firm? What can a construction attorney do for his or her clients?
Construction and Law
There is more to a construction project than hammers and nails. Cities, states, and even the federal government have regulations and codes for construction, in the interest of safety, efficient construction, and not disrupting nearby buildings or people. Not only can a lawyer from a construction law firm help make sure that these regulations are being followed, but such a lawyer may also represent a construction crew in case there is an injury on the worksite, damaged equipment, a late invoice, or other issues. A construction law firm is the right place to visit to find such an attorney, and some such cases end up being enormous.
The American Arbitration Association, the AAA, is used for such cases as construction disputes and more, and some such cases can be enormous. Back in 2015, for example, the AAA administered a total of 551 construction law cases that were worth $500,000 or more each, and the largest mediated construction case was worth a huge $2.6 billion, while the total value of all claims and counter-claims that the AAA handled for construction law came out to $5.5 billion. This may not come as a surprise when one considers the sheer size of the American construction market. As of 2016, the construction market was valued at $1.162 trillion dollars, and this includes construction worker and their managers, suppliers for many different materials, the builders and repair crews for backhoes and steam rollers, and more. On a project, a lot may be on the line, and if there is a problem, a crew may want to reach out to a nearby construction law firm to settle things and have their side represent by an expert in litigation or even court, if it comes to that.
What Might Go Wrong
There is plenty that may go wrong during a construction project, even a smaller one. Worksite hazards are one thing. Construction workers are known for facing many bodily hazards, such as pulmonary problems. Airborne silica particles may damage the lungs or eyes, and workers may breathe in harmful fumes from motors or chemicals, and lung-based workplace injuries are in fact fairly common. Workers might slip and fall on slick surfaces and fall several stories onto hard ground or a floor, which might break bones or cause a concussion in some cases. Or, workers may get body parts trapped in machines or crushed under heavy items. A workers might even get hit or run over by a dump truck or bulldozer.
Then there are paperwork hazards, such as a late or missing invoice, or another crew violating various regulations or attempting to terminate a project early for the wrong reasons. A construction lawyer will help his or her clients pursue litigation to collect late invoices, sue a perceived at-fault party for an injury or property damage, or try to cancel a wrongful termination. Conversely, if a project is far behind schedule, way over its budget, or if there are too many workplace injuries taking place, a construction lawyer may terminate the project for all the right reasons.
