How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Assist After a Workplace Accident?

Since many employers in East Hartford, CT have workers’ compensation, you might imagine that you don’t need a personal injury attorney if you’ve suffered a workplace injury. In reality, there’s a lot that an attorney can do to help you after a workplace accident.

How Can a Personal Injury Attorney Assist After an East Hartford, CT Workplace Accident?

Helping You Get All the Compensation You’re Owed

The workers’ compensation system is designed to ensure that employees get some benefits. Unfortunately, you’re still dealing with an insurance company, and insurance companies are notorious for making things as difficult as possible. When you’re trying to deal with an injury and recover from it, it can be extremely difficult to also have to deal with insurance adjusters, answer all their questions, and fight for coverage that you’re entitled to but which the insurance company is trying to deny. An attorney can be a huge help here.

Bringing a Lawsuit

Workers’ compensation does make it more difficult to bring a lawsuit, but it’s not impossible, particularly in certain situations. There are two exceptions to the rule that you cannot sue. First, if a third party not your employer or a fellow employee was responsible for your accident, you can generally bring a lawsuit. And second, there are also are some very limited circumstances where you can bring a lawsuit against your employer or a fellow employee. No one can tell you whether that’s an option for you except a lawyer with specific knowledge of your circumstances, but here’s an overview of the rules:

Suing Your Employer or a Fellow Employee

Under nearly all circumstances, your employer is protected from liability so long as they have workers’ compensation. There are three big exceptions to this rule. First, if your employer intentionally injured you, you can sue them. Second, if a minor is killed while employed illegally, the child’s family can bring a wrongful death lawsuit against the employer. Third, you can sue your employer if they did not maintain the amount of workers’ compensation insurance coverage that’s required under Connecticut law. Even if they have some, if they haven’t got the right amount, a lawsuit is a possibility.

You can sue a fellow employee under a few limited circumstances, as well. Again, if a coworker injured you on purpose, that’s an option. Or, if they were negligent in the operation of a car or truck, you can usually bring a lawsuit.

Third-Party Lawsuits

Even if you were injured at work, you can bring a lawsuit if the person or entity that injured you is not your employer or a coworker. For example, if you are injured by a customer, a vendor, or an independent contractor, then a lawsuit becomes a possibility. You can bring this lawsuit even if you are also receiving workers’ compensation benefits.

To find out all the ways we can help you if you’ve been injured in the workplace, contact the Adler Law Group, LLC Attorneys at Law in East Hartford, CT right away for help anywhere in the larger Hartford area.

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