Know Your Options if You’ve Been Injured at Work

Most American workers know what workers’ compensation is. They know that it is insurance coverage designed to pay for medical expenses and other costs if they experience an on-the-job injury or illness. Many also believe that workers’ compensation is their only option after a work accident or injury. There are other options available, however.

Filing a Third-Party Personal Injury Claim

While workers’ compensation laws protect your employer from legal action, they do not protect others. You may still hold these people and businesses (which lawyers call “third parties”) accountable under the law.

Third parties may include subcontractors and vendors whose poor choices lead to your injury. Each situation is different. Claims against these third parties are most common in busy work situations, like factories using temporary labor or busy construction sites.

Claims against third parties and workers’ compensation claims are not mutually exclusive. You might be able to pursue both options, which helps keep your interests protected now and in the future.

Filing a Product Liability Claim

Third parties are not the only ones accountable for causing work injuries. In some situations, dangerous and defective products are to blame. For example, machinery on an assembly line might malfunction and drop heavy materials onto a factory worker, or scaffolding might break and cause a serious fall.

Workers who suffer injuries do not always see the connection between the harm and the defective product right away. Often, it takes an in-depth investigation by a lawyer, as well as analysis by product experts, to determine what really went wrong.

Not Sure If You Want to File a Claim? Speak With a Lawyer for Free.

Speaking with an attorney is the best way to determine whether you might have a third-party personal injury claim or a product liability claim. The attorney can assess your situation and help you understand all of your legal options after a work injury.

Even if a lawsuit is not an option for you, talking with an attorney can help you understand and protect your rights while filing a workers’ compensation claim. You are always welcome to talk with someone at our law office about your situation. Most workers’ comp attorneys provide free initial consultations.