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There may be third-party claims after a work accident

On Behalf of | Dec 15, 2021 | Workers' Comp And SSDI Claims

Residents of Demopolis and other nearby areas of Alabama may want to know more about the possibility of a third-party claim after an accident at work. Injury may happen, and workers’ compensation is there to cover it. However, someone else may be at fault, besides your employer.

According to The National Law Review, there may be negligence by an additional (third) party that has involvement in the work or the project. Your injury was the result.

What is the difference between workers’ compensation and third party?

Your employer is the target of workers’ compensation, which pays for medical bills from an injury you receive on the job. Payment is for medical bills and partial wages. You cannot sue your employer for negligence; workers’ compensation is the only choice.

A third party may contribute to the accident cause

There might be a factor in your injury that is the result of a third party. They may have been negligent, and that contributed to your accident.

An example is the construction worker who falls in a hole and is severely injured. The hole was not covered; the employee will get workers’ compensation for the injury sustained but cannot sue the company they work for. Instead, a suit may take place with the company that was responsible for the hole; they did not warn people about the dangers. This is the third party involved.

Few attorneys handle both types of claims

A problem arises when the two attorneys work together; one is handling your workers’ compensation, and the other is handling your personal injury negligence claim. Because each case depends on the claims of the other, matters are often not solved to produce the best outcome.

Some attorneys handle both types of cases. They may look at the matter and not jeopardize either case. There are no competing interests that might threaten the results.

When you have a workers’ compensation case after an injury, there may be a third party who has involvement and responsibility for the accident.