Workers’ compensation was established as a form of protection for employees who become injured in a workplace accident. It ensures that employees cannot get fired right after being involved 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 to benefit you. This compensation may include economic damages such as compensation for medical bills, lost wages and lost future wages. This is a funded program. It is not directly from your employer as a lawsuit would be.
After being injured in a workplace accident, employees 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 and that they acquired them through the accident to allow them 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.
Can a third party be involved in a workplace accident?
Workplace accidents can lead an employee to collect workers’ compensation. This can help injured employees recover compensation for medical bills that have begun to pile up due to their injuries from the accident. 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 job. If a third party is somehow involved in your accident, you may be able to hold them accountable for their involvement in your accident. 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 for being involved. 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.
The Law Offices of George Poulos is an experienced Workers’ Compensation, personal injury, and Social Security Disability law firm with offices in Queens and the Bronx. If you require strong legal representation, contact our firm today to schedule a free consultation.
