Workplace Accident Injury Lawyer
Workplace Accident Injury Lawyer
Workplace Accident Injury Lawyer: What To Do After An Accident At Work.
If you suffer a workplace accident injury, you should take some steps to protect your legal rights to obtain workers’ compensation benefits. Every employer must adhere to the state law, requiring them to provide workers’ compensation insurance coverage to the employees. You will probably be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits if you are injured in an accident at work. You should seek the help of an experienced, reputable, and dedicated workplace accident injury lawyer to increase your chances of getting compensation. Without further ado, let’s look at the following information to protect your legal rights if you suffer a work-related injury.
1. File An Accident Report
In order to be covered under workers’ compensation laws, you must report an injury as soon as possible because many states have very short deadlines. Therefore, whether or not you believe you are injured, you should report any accident in which you are involved in the job.
Your report could cause your employer to implement new safety measures even when you come away from the accident unscathed. These measures will prevent an injury from occurring to you or someone else in the future.
Moreover, filing an incident report immediately is essential as it protects you if you experience symptoms weeks or even months following the accident.
2. Injuries Not Covered If Drugs or Alcohol Involved
Workers’ comp laws will not cover an employee’s injuries in some instances. For example, an employee’s injuries will not be covered if that employee was intoxicated or using illegal drugs when the accident happened. Consequently, some employers have a policy that requires employees involved in workplace accidents to submit to a drug test.
Injuries that occur due to workplace horseplay or fighting or during an individual’s commute are usually excluded from coverage.
3. Lawsuits Generally Barred Under Workers’ Comp Laws
Under the laws in every state except Texas, most employers should have worker’s compensation insurance. Generally speaking, the laws provide that employees cannot sue their employers over workplace injuries. On the flip side, the employee does not have to prove that the employer’s negligence causes the injury. In fact, an employee can obtain compensation even if his or her own negligence caused the injury.
Cases involving asbestos are one major exception to the general rule barring lawsuits. You might be able to sue your employer or a third party for damages if you have been exposed to asbestos and suffer from mesothelioma or other asbestos-related health issues.
4. Consult a Workplace Accident Injury Lawyer
Before filing a claim, it’s a good idea to consult with an Atlanta workplace accident injury lawyer with experience handling workers’ compensation claims. At Singleton Law Firm, we offer a free, no-obligation initial consultation, and we can help you determine your options and what benefits you might be entitled to receive.
5. Consult a Doctor
Following an accident at work, you should see a doctor as soon as possible. Go to the emergency room if the injury warrants it. If you are not seriously injured, you should ask your employer if you can choose which doctor to go to or if they require you to see a certain doctor.
You might want to consider seeing another doctor of your choice if your employer chooses a doctor, and you aren’t satisfied with how things went at your visit. Under workers’ comp laws, you might be entitled to a second opinion.
It may be worth it to you to pay yourself to see a different doctor even if workers’ comp will not pay for you. Depending on the extent of your injuries, you could stand to lose much more in benefits than it’ll cost you an evaluation by a different doctor. Your doctor’s visit may be covered by health insurance if you have it.
6. Report Injuries as Soon as Possible
Your employer has a responsibility to file a workers’ comp claim with their insurance company on your behalf. But they will not do it until you let them know you’re injured.
If you reported the accident but did not know you were injured at the time, let your employer know as soon as you discover your injury. Follow up to ensure that they file a workers’ comp claim. You’re entitled to a copy of the workers’ comp claim that your employer filed.
Workplace Accident Injury Lawyer
If you or a loved one is injured at a workplace, contact Bobe & Snell Law Office LLC today at 470.268.5802. Alternatively, you can contact us online to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our workplace accident injury lawyer Atlanta.
