Work site injury: what can I do?

Pennsylvania construction injury lawsuits are filed in the Court of Common Pleas in the county where the accident occurred. Philadelphia and Allegheny (Pittsburgh) counties have their own complex litigation centers. There is no federal MDL for general construction accident cases; state court is the standard forum.

Pennsylvania's statute of limitations for personal injury is two years from the date of injury (42 Pa. C.S. § 5524). The discovery rule can toll the period in narrow circumstances but is rarely applied to traumatic construction accidents where the injury is immediately apparent.

Pennsylvania has no Scaffold Law comparable to New York's. Liability is analyzed under standard negligence and premises liability principles. The Pennsylvania Construction Code Act (Act 45 of 1999) and OSHA 1926 standards establish the duty of care for scaffold, trench, and fall-protection violations. OSHA citations from the Pittsburgh or Philadelphia area offices are admissible evidence of negligence per se in many Pennsylvania courts.

Pennsylvania workers' compensation (77 P.S. § 481) is the exclusive remedy against a direct employer. Third-party tort claims against general contractors, owners, equipment manufacturers, and other subcontractors survive. Pennsylvania applies a modified comparative negligence rule — a plaintiff who is 51% or more at fault is barred from recovery; below that threshold, damages are reduced proportionally.