Work Related Injury on the Job Site
Construction workers are confronted by hazards that may result in injury at the workplace more frequently than most other workers. When an injury is sustained by a worker on a job site, the worker or their family may find it very beneficial to the needs of the injured party by contacting a personal injury lawyer. A simple phone call could prevent denial or delays of required compensation and treatment, and unnecessary immediate and long-term financial losses to the injured party.
It can seem pretty cut and dry to most people; if you go to work and get injured on the job, Worker’s Compensation is there to cover the expenses of the injury and provide for the injured worker. The disappointing reality is however that Worker’s Compensation does not cover all of the injured person’s lost wages; it only provides for a portion of them. There may be other necessary expenses incurred by the injured worker during the healing process that go uncovered by Worker’s Compensation. The rules governing specific compensation vary in each state. The best way to have a comprehensive knowledge of your rights when you are injured on the work site is to contact a personal injury lawyer with experience in litigating these types of cases in your specific locality.
Construction job sites have additional complications that may create a situation in which Worker’s Compensation may be the beginning of the financial recovery process, but not the end of it. While Worker’s Compensation does cover quite a bit in the event of an injury, the injured party may wish to bypass Worker’s Compensation and instead seek to sue their employer in court for damages if the employer was particularly negligent. A personal injury lawyer can make sure you are receiving all of the compensation you deserve and provide the required experience and expertise in determining whether Worker’s Compensation will be sufficient for your particular needs or an alternative means of litigation would be best in compensating for your injury.
Those who work construction also go to work each day with other workers and employers who are not directly employed by or convey any authority related to the company they work for. When multiple companies work side by side, each company shares a responsibility for the conditions they are creating and working in, the equipment they are working with and the choices of those working on the job site. The responsibility for safety lies with every individual and every company on the job site. When a workplace hazard results in injury, more than worker’s compensation may be available to the injured worker if the injury was caused by the equipment, site conditions or personal choices of another person employed by another company on the site.
If a third party, or a company other than the one being worked for by the injured party, played a part in the negligence that caused the injury, that company may be held accountable for a portion of the expenses incurred by the injured. Those expenses may include medical expenses that were not covered by Worker’s Compensation or the balance of the wages not covered during the period of treatment and recovery. When an injury occurs it can have a lasting impact on several aspects of a person’s physical and emotional life. The only way to make sure you are completely compensated for an injury sustained at work is to contact a personal injury lawyer.
About the Author
Paige Donnelly of St. Paul, MN specializes in work-related injuries and other personal injury cases such as wrongful death.
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