Construction Accident Lawyers

Who Can Be Held Liable for a Coral Gables Construction Accident?

Florida’s workers’ compensation law (Chapter 440, Florida Statutes) generally shields your direct employer — and often the general contractor as a “statutory employer” when it subcontracted the work — from being sued for negligence. But that immunity does not protect everyone. Under section 440.39, an injured worker may accept workers’ comp benefits and still sue non-immune third parties: subcontractors outside the statutory-immunity chain, property owners who failed to correct known dangers, and manufacturers of defective equipment. Separate Florida doctrines can add further paths to recovery, including civil actions for material building-code violations under section 553.84 (subject to the statute’s permit-and-inspection safe harbor). Identifying the liable third parties — and the insurance behind them — can open categories of damages that workers’ compensation never pays, including pain and suffering. Lawsuits arising from Coral Gables construction accidents, when properly venued in Miami-Dade County, are generally filed in the Eleventh Judicial Circuit. Circuit civil cases (over $50,000) with Miami-Dade County venue are filed at the Osvaldo N. Soto Miami-Dade Justice Center in downtown Miami; claims that qualify for federal jurisdiction may proceed in the Southern District of Florida, Miami Division.

How Long Do You Have to File a Construction Accident Claim in Florida?

For claims accruing after March 24, 2023 — usually the date of the accident — Florida law gives you two years to file a negligence lawsuit (section 95.11(5)(a), Florida Statutes, as amended by House Bill 837). Older accidents may still fall under the previous four-year period, and claims involving government entities carry their own strict presuit notice requirements. Evidence on a construction site disappears fast — equipment gets repaired, sites get rebuilt, and crews scatter to new jobs. The sooner an investigation starts, the more of that evidence survives.

What Should You Do After a Construction Accident in Coral Gables?

Get medical care immediately and follow through on treatment. The region’s Level I trauma centers — the Ryder Trauma Center at Jackson Memorial Hospital and HCA Florida Kendall Hospital — handle the area’s most severe injuries. Report the accident to your employer, but be careful before giving recorded statements to any insurance carrier. Photograph the site, the equipment involved, and your injuries if you can, and write down the names of every company working on the site — the contract chain often hides the responsible party. Then talk to a construction accident attorney before you accept any settlement. Silva & Silva reviews Coral Gables construction cases at no cost and explains, in plain English or Spanish, exactly who can be held accountable.

The evidence in a Coral Gables construction accident claim can vanish in the first weeks, and Florida’s two-year deadline for most negligence claims is unforgiving. Call Silva & Silva at 305-445-0011 for a free consultation — no fees unless we recover for you.