Suffering an injury while on the job happens. That’s why Arizona requires most employers to carry workers’ compensation insurance. But it’s not always enough…, especially when it comes to extensive injuries that prevent employees from returning to their jobs. If you have a client where workers’ comp doesn’t cover their actual losses, you know that the effects can be devastating both financially and emotionally. We’re here to dive into why working with a personal injury attorney in these types of cases results in the best outcome for your client.
WHY INVOLVE A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY?
Many employees hurt on the job are unaware that they might have two separate claims for their injury – a workers’ compensation claim and a personal injury claim. Most of the time, this isn’t an issue because workers’ comp works well for minor injuries. When it comes to more serious injuries, workers’ compensation claims can overlap with personal injury claims, giving clients better financial compensation for their losses.
Three common situations where a personal injury attorney can help a client that already has a workers’ comp claim are:
● A third party caused the injury
● A defective product was involved in the injury
● An employer intentionally put your client in harm’s way
When it comes down to it, the whole reason you’d want to work with a personal injury attorney is to help your client get the best result possible while they recover after an on-the-job injury.
HOW A PERSONAL INJURY ATTORNEY HELPS YOUR CLIENT
Workers’ compensation insurance is limited in Arizona and doesn’t necessarily meet the actual loss that your client experienced. For example, injuries that result in less than a week of lost wages won’t actually get paid out under a workers’ comp claim unless the injury requires them to miss 14 days of work. Your client ends up taking PTO, using sick leave, or just losing out on wages. If your client has a personal injury claim as well, they can recover those lost wages that are limited by workers’ compensation insurance.
When people are injured on the job, they think of medical bills and lost wages, but the financial burden might not end there. Some injuries limit a client’s ability to work in the future and involve long-term medical expenses. When the structured monetary amounts aren’t enough, personal injury claims can help fill those gaps, especially if the client was subject to pain and suffering (damages not covered by workers’ comp).
Our job as attorneys is to help our clients reach the best possible solution. In many workers’ compensation cases that also means consulting with a personal injury attorney to ensure all of our clients’ damages are covered. If your client was injured on the job and might have a personal injury claim as well, contact the team at Leon Law, PLLC for a free case review and consultation to learn more about their legal options. Call (602) 780-1302 or email info@leonlawpllc.com.
DISCLAIMER: The Leon Law, PLLC blog is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended as legal or medical advice. References to laws are based on general legal practices and vary by location. Information reported comes from secondary news sources.
Featured Image: LightField Studios / Shutterstock
I find it surprising that you can hire an attorney who can help you get the proper settlement that you need if ever you get injured. I have a friend whose father received an injury while working on a construction site. I’ll share this with him so that they can contact one of these experts for legal advice.
I like your lawyer tips. My mom fell off a ladder. She needs a worker’s comp lawyer.