Milwaukee & Wisconsin Construction accident lawyers who fight for maximum compensation in Milwaukee and across Wisconsin
When a construction injury upends your life, you need a law firm that knows Wisconsin job sites, understands the realities of heavy industry, and is ready to try your case. At Murphy & Prachthauser, our Milwaukee-based team brings decades of experience handling complex construction claims for injured workers and bystanders across Wisconsin, from large urban builds to rural infrastructure projects.
We move quickly to preserve critical evidence, identify every responsible party, and coordinate workers’ compensation benefits with any third-party liability claims. Your focus is healing; ours is securing full compensation and access to quality medical care. Consultations are free, and we work on a contingency fee, which means there is no fee unless we recover for you.
Key takeaways
Before you make decisions that could affect your rights, keep these essentials in mind:
- Workers’ compensation covers medical bills and wage benefits, while third‑party claims can add full tort damages such as pain and suffering, future care, and loss of earning capacity.
- You may have claims against subcontractors, the general contractor or site owner for safety failures, and manufacturers or maintenance companies for defective or negligently serviced equipment.
- Get medical care, report the incident, document the scene if safe, preserve equipment, avoid insurer statements without advice, and consult a Milwaukee construction accident lawyer promptly.
Do I have a case? Understanding Wisconsin construction accident claims
Most on-the-job injuries in Wisconsin are covered by workers’ compensation, a no‑fault system that provides medical treatment and wage benefits regardless of who caused the accident. Workers’ compensation is typically the exclusive remedy against your direct employer, meaning you generally cannot sue your employer for negligence. That limitation does not apply to others whose unsafe acts or defective products contributed to the injury.
In many construction incidents, additional third‑party claims may be available. Subcontractors from other trades, the general contractor, site owners or controllers, equipment manufacturers, distributors, and maintenance companies can be held responsible when their negligence, such as failure to use reasonable care or a product defect (design, manufacturing, or inadequate warnings) causes harm. Bystanders, delivery drivers, and other non‑employees injured on or near a job site may pursue standard negligence claims for their injuries.
Early investigation is critical. Photographs, incident reports, witness statements, and preserved equipment often determine case value and fault allocation. Strict deadlines apply under Wisconsin statutes of limitation and notice rules, and comparative negligence principles can affect recovery. Speaking with counsel promptly helps protect your rights and maximize the remedies available under both workers’ compensation and third‑party liability paths.
Common causes and equipment involved on Wisconsin job sites
Construction sites present dynamic hazards governed by OSHA safety standards and site-specific protocols. When these safeguards are ignored or when equipment fails the results can be devastating and may give rise to liability beyond workers’ compensation.
Unsafe conditions often trace back to decisions about planning, training, supervision, and equipment selection or maintenance. Identifying the root cause helps determine which subcontractor, general contractor, site controller, or manufacturer bears responsibility.
The issues below frequently feature in our investigations and can point to responsible third parties:
- Struck‑by incidents involving vehicles, cranes, forklifts, or falling objects potentially implicating the operating subcontractor, the general contractor for site coordination, or a crane owner/lessor.
- Falls, electrocutions, and caught‑in/between scenarios tied to missing fall protection, improper lockout/tagout, or trenching errors, often raising questions about supervisory control and safety planning.
- Faulty or poorly maintained equipment and power tools that fail under normal use and potential claims against an equipment manufacturer, distributor, rental company, or maintenance provider.
- Operator error compounded by inadequate supervision or training. The liability can extend to the subcontractor in control of the work and the general contractor responsible for overall safety coordination.
- Safety violations and ignored site protocols and evidence of OSHA noncompliance and site‑specific rules can support negligence claims against those charged with enforcing them.
Who may be responsible: mapping potential third-party liability
While your employer is often immune from civil suit under workers’ compensation, many other parties on a construction project can be held accountable. Liability typically follows control over the work, safety duties, and the condition or design of tools and equipment.
Understanding each player’s role on the project helps focus the investigation and evidence requests. Contracts, safety plans, and job hazard analyses are especially useful in clarifying who owed what duties and when.
Below is an overview of common defendants and how fault may be allocated in Wisconsin construction injury cases:
| Potential defendant |
Core safety/control duty |
When liability may apply |
Useful proof |
| Subcontractors and other trades |
Safe execution of their scope; competent operators; compliance with site rules |
Their crew creates a hazard, causes a struck‑by or fall event, or ignores lockout/tagout or PPE requirements |
Daily logs, JSAs, toolbox talks, operator certifications, witness statements |
| General contractor or construction manager |
Overall site safety coordination; sequencing; enforcing protocols |
Failure to coordinate trades, inadequate fall protection planning, or allowing known hazards to persist |
Master safety plan, subcontract agreements, site safety meeting minutes, incident reports |
| Property owner or site controller |
Maintaining reasonably safe premises; warning of non‑obvious dangers |
Hidden hazards (e.g., unstable surfaces, energized areas) not disclosed or corrected |
Property records, inspection reports, emails/work orders, photos/video |
| Equipment/tool manufacturer or distributor |
Designing and selling reasonably safe products with adequate warnings |
Design or manufacturing defects; inadequate guarding or warnings causing injury |
Product manuals, recall/field notices, expert engineering analysis, exemplar testing |
| Maintenance or service company |
Competent inspection, repair, and preventive maintenance |
Negligent service causing brake failures, boom malfunctions, or tool misfires |
Work orders, service logs, technician credentials, parts invoices |
What your compensation can include
Workers’ compensation benefits in Wisconsin generally include payment of reasonable medical expenses and a portion of lost wages, along with potential permanent disability benefits and vocational rehabilitation. These benefits are crucial but do not cover pain and suffering or the full impact of long‑term limitations. Health insurers and comp carriers may assert liens that must be coordinated when third‑party recoveries occur.
Third‑party negligence or product liability claims open the door to full tort damages: past and future medical costs, complete wage loss and loss of earning capacity, pain and suffering, disfigurement, loss of consortium, and the costs of future care and accommodations. In fatal incidents, eligible family members may pursue wrongful death and related claims. Our team works to align workers’ compensation benefits with third‑party recoveries and to resolve liens efficiently so you keep as much of your recovery as possible.
How our Milwaukee Construction Accident Lawyers Help: From investigation to resolution
Results on construction cases turn on speed, thoroughness, and readiness for trial. We act immediately to secure the scene, notify responsible parties to preserve evidence, and obtain incident documentation before memories fade or materials are altered.
Our Milwaukee Construction Accident attorneys coordinate your workers’ compensation claim while building any third‑party negligence or product liability case in parallel. We retain qualified experts in safety, engineering, human factors, and medicine to analyze causation and quantify damages, including future care and vocational impacts.
Every file is prepared as if it will see a courtroom. That approach strengthens settlement leverage and ensures we are ready to try the case when necessary to obtain full value.
- Immediate site investigation and evidence preservation, including anti-spoliation notices and securing defective equipment.
- Collection and analysis of incident reports, photographs, video, and witness statements; detailed timeline reconstruction.
- Engagement of experts in OSHA safety, construction management, engineering, and medicine to establish fault and damages.
- Parallel pursuit of workers’ compensation benefits and all viable third‑party claims, with careful lien and benefits coordination.
- Aggressive negotiation backed by trial readiness, including filing suit, conducting discovery, and preparing demonstrative evidence.
Why choose Murphy & Prachthauser’s Milwaukee and Wisconsin Construction Accident Attorneys
Construction litigation is different. Our Milwaukee construction accident lawyers understand Wisconsin construction law, local court practices, and how jobsites actually operate. We have the resources to take on national manufacturers, large contractors, and insurers, and the experience to develop the technical proof these cases demand.
Clients choose us for clear communication, straight answers, and a strategy tailored to long‑term recovery. We offer contingency fee representation, which means no fee unless we win so you can pursue your case with confidence while focusing on your health.
What to do after a construction accident in Wisconsin
Your health comes first. Get medical care immediately and report the incident to a supervisor or site controller as soon as feasible. If it is safe to do so, document the scene with photos or video, collect names of witnesses, and keep damaged PPE or tools. Do not authorize repairs or return equipment to service until it can be inspected.
Avoid giving recorded statements to any insurer or investigator before consulting counsel. Preserve your boots, clothing, and any equipment involved; keep copies of medical records, bills, and mileage; follow your treatment plan; and refrain from public posts about the incident. Contact a Milwaukee and Wisconsin construction accident lawyer promptly to protect evidence, meet deadlines, and coordinate workers’ compensation with potential third‑party claims.
Serving Milwaukee and construction sites across Wisconsin
From Milwaukee’s high‑rise builds to infrastructure and industrial projects statewide, Murphy & Prachthauser brings local insight into jobsite practices, insurers, and contractors throughout Wisconsin. We offer flexible, no‑obligation consultations by phone or in person and stand ready to evaluate your workers’ compensation and third‑party options. Contact us for a free case review.