Suing Your Employer After An Injury At Work Takes Place
Accidents can happen no matter where you are, and there are plenty of times when people actually become injured while they are working. A work-related injury can be the result of many things, and there are even times when it can be the result of recklessness on the part of a person's employer. If this is the case, the person could sue their employer after the accident.
Factors that affect your ability to sue
When you experience an accident at work, there are numerous factors that will affect how you should handle the injuries afterward. If you did something wrong that caused you to become injured, it would not be your employer's fault. For example, if you were required to wear a harness while cleaning upper-story windows and you did not put it on, you could not seek recompense from your employer for the injuries you encountered after falling several stories. On the other hand, if your employer did not provide you a harness that day, or if the equipment was faulty, you could sue your employer for the injuries.
In order to sue, you must be able to prove that your employer was negligent or reckless in some way, and that this was the reason you ended up injured. If you can prove this, you will have a good case on your hands. If you cannot prove this, you would have a hard time winning your case.
Results of suing your employer
One important thing to understand is that if you decide to sue your employer for the injuries you have from the work-related accident, you cannot pursue workers' compensation. You cannot pursue compensation from both of these sources.
Filing workers' compensation is often the better strategy
When the facts and evidence are weak against an employer, it is often better to handle settling the accident through worker's compensation. Workers' compensation is a form of insurance all employers are required to carry. Through this insurance, you will be able to file a claim with your employer's insurance company for the incident. If approved, you can collect compensation for the medical bills you encountered and for lost wages due to not being able to work after being injured on the job.
If you were hurt while you were completing your job and do not know how to proceed with settling this, you may want to start by reaching out to a workers' comp attorney service.