Injured on the Job — Is Workers Comp Your Only Option?

Employees who have gotten hurt while working at construction sites often believe that workers compensation is the only remedy available to them. After all, workers comp is designed to compensate an injured worker for lost wages and medical expenses in exchange for waiving the right to sue the employer for negligence.

Third-party injuries

While this is generally the case between the employer and the employee, a worker’s injuries may also have been caused by a third party. It may be possible to collect damages from a third party, or parties, if this is true. For example, workplace equipment could be defectively designed or manufactured, a negligent driver could crash into an employee who is driving on behalf of the company, or the medical care for a work-related injury could be negligently performed.

Sometimes, the nature of the work can make all the difference in increasing a victim’s compensation. For example, employees of a contractor doing a job for your employer are not co-workers. If they are the cause of your injury, you may be able to sue them in a third-party claim.

If someone is injured by a third party in a construction accident, a third-party claim may help maximize the victim’s amount of compensation. Workers comp covers only lost wages and medical expenses. It does not cover pain and suffering or other damages. As such, workers compensation cannot fully compensate a seriously injured victim. A third-party claim against others responsible for the injury can help maximize the victim’s claim by allowing injured parties to request compensation for their entire loss.

Our attorneys are dedicated to one task only: To get the best compensation possible for our clients. If you have been seriously injured in a construction site accident, please contact our law office so we can review your case and advise you about your options.