Can a third party be held liable for a workplace accident?

Workplace accidents may lead an employee to collect workers’ compensation. This can help them recover compensation for medical bills that have piled up due to their injuries. It can also help them sustain their standard of living while they are unable to work due to their injuries. They may need time to recover in order to carry out their duties for their position again.

If a third party is involved in your accident, you should seek legal counsel to find out more on how to pursue a case. Although you cannot file a lawsuit against your employer when you collect workers’ compensation, you are able to file a lawsuit against a third party. However, if you collected workers’ compensation previously to filing a lawsuit, you may have to reimburse it if you win a lawsuit and are compensated for your losses. In this way, the damages from the lawsuit will be able to cover the cost of medical bills and other economic damages.

What does workers’ compensation include?

To help those that are injured in the workplace, workers’ compensation was put in place as a form of protection. Through this, it ensures that employees could not get fired right after going through an accident that made them no longer able to continue their duties on daily basis. Through workers’ compensation, you may be entitled to monetary compensation. This compensation may include economic damages such as compensation for medical bills, lost wages and lost future wages.

Individuals who have been injured due to a workplace accident should seek medical attention to make sure they are in good health and to document their injuries. This can prove the extent of the injuries to collect the proper amount of workers’ compensation. Through workers’ compensation, victims of an accident may also be entitled to benefits including medical care, supplemental benefits, social security benefits and death benefits, along with the above cash benefits. If an employee is not able to work anymore, they may be entitled to long-term benefits that can help them sustain their quality of life. By collecting workers’ compensation, there is not fault involved in the accident unless a third party is held liable afterwards. This means that when employees collect this their employers cannot be blamed for their injuries. If an employee wishes to file a lawsuit against their employer, they may not be able to collect workers’ compensation.

If you are in this situation, it is important to discuss this situation with an attorney. The attorneys at Timian & Fawcett, LLC provide effective legal services to clients in Prince George’s County, Washington, D.C. and all of Maryland. Our firm is dedicated to our clients. If you need our help, we are ready to serve. Contact Timian & Fawcett, LLC.