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Performing any kind of work duty exposes you to hazards. In many situations, these hazards are simply a product of doing your job. This is especially true when your job requires the use of heavy machinery or dangerous substances. However, even people working in “safe” locations may endure workplace injuries because of others’ failures to provide protection.
Normally, people who suffer injuries on the job can collect compensation through workers’ compensation insurance claims. However, these claims do not always properly compensate you for your injuries. When your losses are the result of a third party’s negligence, you may be able to pursue a personal injury lawsuit in addition to a workers’ compensation insurance claim. A Milton workplace accident lawyer could help you understand your legal options and take action against the negligent party.
Commonwealth law requires all employers who have employees to obtain a worker’s compensation insurance plan. These plans provide benefits in the form of medical care and partial wage reimbursement after workplace accidents that cause a person to miss time on the job. Employers benefit from these plans as well since they enjoy a shield against direct liability when an accident occurs on their property.
As useful as workers’ compensation benefits can be, they often do not allow injured workers to recover for the full extent of their losses after a workplace injury. Worker’s compensation plans do not provide full wage reimbursement for all time missed on the job or account for reductions in a person’s quality of life.
Through personal injury litigation, injured workers are able to pursue the full payment amount they deserve. This is possible when a third party is liable for the incident that resulted in a worker’s losses. A personal injury claim can account for the gaps that workers’ compensation plans leave open. A Milton workplace accident attorney could provide further information about how personal injury lawsuits and workers’ compensation claims interact.
Anyone seeking compensation through a personal injury lawsuit must be able to prove that others were to blame for an incident. Potential defendants include, but are not limited to:
With the help of a seasoned Milton workplace accident attorney, third-party liability cases move forward like any other injury case. An injured worker must be able to show that these third parties had an obligation to keep them safe and that a failure to provide this protection resulted in injuries. A coworker may have been negligent by showing up to work drunk. Equipment makers may be negligent by allowing a defective product to appear at a job site.
It is important to begin building third-party liability cases quickly. Commonwealth law under Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 260 § 2A gives people three years from the date of an incident to file a case in court. Three years may seem like plenty of time to build a case, but it does not take long for evidence to disappear and memories to fade. Contacting an attorney right away after an accident at a Milton workplace allows them to get to work right away.
Workplace accidents have the potential to devastate every part of your life. When an accident is the result of a third party’s negligence, you may be able to hold those parties legally and financially responsible.
A Milton workplace accident lawyer is ready to take the lead in your case. Contact our office today to get started.
