Can You Sue For An Injury At Work?
Posted on: 22 April 2020
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If you get hurt on the job, you might have to take time off to get better. That means you're not just paying medical bills but also losing out on income. The good news is that you have options to recover. Here's what you should do.
Can You Sue for an Injury at Work?
Any time you're asking if you can sue for something, the answer is always yes. Any person who feels that they have been harmed by another has the right to file a lawsuit for civil compensation. Of course, you'll need to convince a judge and jury to agree with you that the other party is responsible for the harm you suffered.
This doesn't change in the work environment. If you believe your employer or someone else caused you to get hurt, you can sue.
What Does Workers Compensation Insurance Do?
Workers compensation is a special kind of insurance that compensates employees who get hurt on the job. Workers compensation is a no-fault coverage. That means you don't have to prove that your employer did anything wrong to cause your injuries. All you have to do to be covered is prove that you got hurt at work.
When workers compensation insurance is in place, you can't file a personal injury lawsuit for anything caused by workers compensation. This may seem unfair at first, but it actually gets you exactly the same thing without the expense and hassle of having to file a lawsuit. Workers compensation will pay for your medical bills, cover your lost wages, and pay for related expenses in the same way a personal injury lawsuit would. Even if you could go and win a personal injury lawsuit, the verdict would be for $0 since there'd be nothing left for the lawsuit to cover.
What if You Disagree with the Workers Compensation Settlement?
Workers compensation is just like any other insurance, so that means an insurance company might try to reduce a claim to increase their own profits. This doesn't mean you have to accept what they offer. If you have a clear picture of all of your bills, you may be able to negotiate with the insurance company. If they fight you or your future expenses are uncertain, a workers compensation lawyer can help guide you through the claims process and bring your claim to court if necessary.
To learn more, contact a local workers compensation lawyer today.