Injuries at Work
Each year, thousands of workers are seriously injured or killed at work. There are often multiple remedies available to injured workers, most of which are unknown to the general public.
Workers’ Compensation is a remedy available to the injured worker through the employer. The employee is paid a percentage of his/her pre-injury pay and all related medical expenses are paid by the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance carrier until the employee is able to return to work.
In the event your employer was not covered under a workers’ compensation insurance policy at the time of your injury, a fund was has been created to compensate employees like you so that you do not suffer as a result of your employer’s lack of coverage.
Generally, you cannot sue your co-worker or employer for injuries that resulted while you were working; however, there are instances when other civil remedies are available. An important distinction between Workers’ Compensation claims and civil negligence claims is that in WC claims, your recover is generally limited to wage loss and medical bills. You cannot, for example, recover for pain and suffering. In civil cases however, you may be entitled to past pain and suffering, future pain and suffering, embarrassment, humiliation, disfigurement and more.
Often, a third party is responsible for causing the work injury. A common example is an employee who falls on the wet floor at work and is injured because the maintenance company which recently mopped the floor failed to post a warning sign that the floor was wet. In such a case, the employee could make a claim for Workers’ Compensation and a claim for negligence against the maintenance company and recover pain and suffering. Often, employees involved in construction accidents who suffer injuries also have third party claims for defective ladders, scaffolding and machinery as well as faulty wiring and other negligence of sub-contractors on the site.
Our firm is experienced in handling cases involving injuries at work.
If you or someone you know has been injured at work, contact us today for your free consultation.