If you are hurt at work or in the course of performing job-related duties, you are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits, which can provide you with medical treatment and wage supplementation when injuries prevent you from working and earning wages. In most work injury and industrial accident cases, workers’ comp is the only source of compensation, as the law precludes you from suing your employer or fellow employees, even if they are responsible for your injuries.
Although workers’ comp is a no-fault insurance system, there are cases in which injured workers may be entitled to sue a third party responsible for causing an accident. Examples of these situations may include:
- Product Manufacturer – Industrial workers and other workers commonly use machinery or consumer products in the course of performing their jobs. When a defective product causes your injuries, you may be able to pursue a product liability claim against the manufacturer. These claims allege that a manufacturer defectively designed a product in a way that made it inherently unsafe, or that it was negligent when constructing a product using poor craftsmanship or poor quality materials. Negligent manufacturers can be held liable for your damages, including your non-economic damages and emotional injuries.
- Maintenance Companies – In some cases, workers perform their jobs on various worksites and properties. When the owners of these properties fail to address dangerous conditions they knew or should have known about, as is their legal duty, they can be held responsible for harms suffered by victims, including individuals who were performing work on the premises. These premises liability claims can involve a number of situations, including wet or slippery floors, open holes, insufficient lighting, and other dangerous conditions.
- Vendors or contractors – When workers perform their jobs with or nearby third party vendors or contractors, they may have an option to file a personal injury civil suit against that party if their negligence resulted in causing injuries. This may happen when vendors or contractors operate trucks, commercial vehicles, or even forklifts in a negligent manner, and cause accidents.
If you or a loved one were seriously injured on the job, you owe it to yourself to have an attorney experienced in industrial accidents evaluate your case to determine if third party negligence is involved. After reviewing these cases, our legal team at Biren Law Group helps injured workers pursue civil lawsuits outside of workers’ compensation in order to recover the compensation they deserve.
To discuss a possible case with a member of our team and learn more about the legal process ahead, contact us for a free consultation. Biren Law Group is comprised of award-winning Los Angeles personal injury lawyers who represent victims throughout Southern California.