When employees are hurt on the job, they may face considerable obstacles to recovering the compensation they need to recover from their injuries. Although there are various legal pathways in place to ensure that victims receive compensation to aid them in the recovery process, navigating these legal procedures can be difficult and overwhelming, especially during times when victims and families are still reeling from tragedy. As such, injured workers and their loved ones should take the steps needed to work with experienced workers’ comp and personal injury lawyers who have the tools and skills needed to guide them through this process and toward the maximum compensation possible.
Work-related injuries occur in every industry and happen every day. Whether an employee is injured while working for an oil and gas company or is hurt while working for a local retailer, workers have every reason to understand their rights and their available options for compensation. Most often, these options will include workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, and personal injury claims.
WORKERS’ COMP
Although some workers may face higher risks of being injured than other by the nature of their job, any employee that works with a licensed employer will have the right to file a workers’ compensation claim when they are injured during the course of performing a job-related duty. Workers’ compensation benefits are covered by an employer’s insurance – insurance which the majority of employers in Oklahoma are required to have – and protect the employer from being sued for a variety of workplace injuries and incidents.
Workers’ comp benefits provide medical benefits, financial assistance, and vocational rehabilitation to employees who have suffered injuries serious enough to prevent them from working. Depending on the situation at hand and the severity of an injury, workers’ compensation may not always meet the demands of an injured employee. In such cases, workers can explore their options for obtaining additional Social Security disability benefits if their injuries prevent them from working for at least one year. In other cases, filing a personal injury claim may be more appropriate.
PERSONAL INJURY CLAIMS FOR WORK-RELATED INJURIES
There may arise certain situations that will allow injured workers to file personal injury claims against third parties responsible for causing them harm. Such situations often include injuries or illnesses caused by toxic substances – which may be present in materials manufactured by other companies – or by defective products and equipment used by workers. In these cases, injured employees may be able to file personal injury claims against the third party in order to recover their damages. Other situations in which a personal injury claim may be a viable option include workplace injuries that were intentionally caused by an employer or that resulted directly from an employers’ egregious act of negligence. An attorney from our firm can help you better understand if you are eligible to file a personal injury claim for a workplace injury.
EXPLORING YOUR OPTIONS ON A PERSONAL BASIS
Each case will always be unique and each client will always have different needs. As such, our Oklahoma personal injury and workers’ compensation lawyers work with injured workers on an individual basis. We listen to your story, we thoroughly review your case, and we help you understand all of your available legal options. By helping clients choose the most appropriate path toward recovering damages, our legal team can help ensure that they obtain the compensation they need and deserve. If you or your loved one has been injured on the job, allow an Oklahoma attorney from our firm to review your case and explain precisely what we can do to help. Learn more about workers’ compensation, Social Security disability, personal injury claims, and your rights. Contact AMA Law today.