Walk past almost any block in Maryland and something is being built. High-rise and waterfront projects in Baltimore, road crews in Beltway work zones, new housing going up in Howard and Frederick counties. It’s hard, skilled work, and when something goes wrong on a site, the injuries are often the kind that keep people off the job for months.
Most injured workers are told to file for workers’ comp and leave it there. Sometimes that’s the right call. Often, though, a different company on the site caused the accident, and that opens the door to a second claim. As a Maryland construction accident attorney, Silmi Law looks at both from the start.
Founder Sharif Silmi has more than a decade in practice and graduated from law school with honors. He’s a member of the Maryland State Bar Association, holds a Martindale-Hubbell AV Preeminent rating, and has recovered more than $25 million for injured clients. If a case needs to be tried, he’s joined by veteran litigation partner David Albright.
From an Avvo review: One client, Vishal, wrote that the team “caught a couple of issues in my case I had no idea were even there.” You can read Vishal’s June 2026 review on Avvo. In job-site cases, those overlooked details are often a second responsible company.
Call (443) 329-2929 or book a free case evaluation.
How Dangerous Construction Work Is in Maryland
The latest federal count shows how often a construction job turns deadly here.
- 93 people died from work injuries in Maryland in 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries.
- 17 of those deaths were in the construction industry.
- 10 of the construction deaths were transportation incidents, which include workers struck by vehicles and mobile equipment.
- 3 were falls, slips or trips.
Deaths are only part of the story. For each fatal case, many more workers suffer broken bones, spinal injuries, burns or head trauma that change what they can do for a living.
Workers’ Comp vs. a Third-Party Claim
These are two separate paths, and understanding the difference is the most important part of a construction injury case.
What Workers’ Comp Covers
Workers’ comp pays medical treatment and part of your lost wages, no matter who was at fault. In exchange, under Md. Code Ann., Lab. & Empl. § 9-509, you generally can’t sue your own employer. The one main exception is an injury caused by the employer’s deliberate intent. Comp also doesn’t pay for pain and suffering.
When Someone Else Can Be Sued
If a company other than your employer caused the accident, you can bring a third-party injury claim against it. On a typical Maryland site, that might be the general contractor, another subcontractor, the property owner, an equipment rental company, a tool manufacturer or a driver who entered the work zone. A third-party claim can pay your full lost earnings and damages for pain and suffering.
How the Comp Insurer Gets Repaid
You can keep your comp benefits while the third-party case goes forward. Under § 9-902, the comp insurer is repaid out of any third-party recovery after your legal costs, and you keep the rest. The insurer can also file the third-party suit first, and if it doesn’t act within two months of the award, you can. That timing is one reason to get a lawyer involved early.
Evidence That Matters After a Job-Site Injury
Construction sites change by the day. Scaffolding comes down, equipment moves to another job, and crews rotate. We work to secure:
- The incident report and any written statements taken on site
- Photos and video of the area, the equipment and your injuries
- Names of coworkers and others who saw what happened
- Contracts showing which company controlled the work area
- Site safety plans, toolbox talk records and training logs
- Inspection and maintenance records for ladders, lifts and machinery
- Any inspection or citation from Maryland Occupational Safety and Health (MOSH)
Immigrant Workers Have the Same Rights
Many Maryland construction crews include immigrant workers, and a lot of them worry that reporting an injury will cause trouble. Maryland’s highest court has held that undocumented workers are covered by workers’ compensation, and your status doesn’t stop a third-party injury claim either. We speak Spanish and Arabic, and what you tell us stays confidential. Our injured immigrants in Maryland page has more on this.
Steps to Take After a Construction Injury
What you do in the first days can protect both your comp claim and any third-party case:
- Report the injury to your supervisor in writing, as soon as you can.
- Get medical care and tell the provider it happened at work.
- Take photos of the area and anything that failed, if you’re able.
- Write down the names of coworkers and other trades on site.
- Don’t sign a statement for another company’s insurer.
- Call a lawyer before you accept any settlement.
Talk to a Maryland Construction Accident Attorney
Whether you were hurt on a Baltimore high-rise, a highway job or a home build in the suburbs, we’ll look at every company that played a part. If a site accident took a family member, our Maryland wrongful death attorney page explains the family’s options. You can also visit our personal injury attorney Baltimore Maryland page and our wider Maryland personal injury practice.
Call Silmi Law at (443) 329-2929, or visit 5707 Calverton Street, Suite 2A, Catonsville, MD 21228, to book a free case evaluation with a Maryland construction accident attorney. There’s no fee unless we win.
