Workplace accident lawyer in Palm Beach Gardens
A good workplace accident lawyer Palm Beach Gardens residents rely on knows that a staggering number of auto accidents occur on American roads annually. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, just shy of 6,300,000 police-reported auto collisions occurred in the U.S. during 2015 alone. As a result of these collisions, an estimated 2,443,000 people were injured. It is perhaps not surprising that a significant number of these accidents were work-related. In fact, in recent years auto accidents have become one of the leading causes of work-related injuries in the U.S.
When an accident is work-related and the affected worker is not a contractor, a workplace accident lawyer in Palm Beach Gardens can help determine if he or she may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation benefits associated with any injuries sustained. Workers eligible for workers’ compensation benefits may generally receive them even if a given accident was partially the injured worker’s fault. Because the workers’ compensation system is generally a no-fault affair, injuries caused by accidents that qualify as work-related tend to make affected workers eligible to receive benefits.
This is not to say that obtaining the benefits that one may be entitled to is always an easy process. In fact, the nature of auto accidents tends to make the workers’ compensation benefits process more challenging to deal with and a workplace accident lawyer serving Palm Beach Gardens can help significantly with this process. In most workplace accident scenarios, an employee is injured on-site. Therefore, it is easy for an employer to determine that the injury was work-related. However, individuals who are required to drive for work also tend to drive for personal reasons. And it can be difficult to determine whether an accident truly occurred in a work-related capacity or not.
Generally, if you are engaged in any work-related activity beyond traveling to and from work when you are not “on the clock” your motor vehicle travel may be considered work-related. Obviously, if you are making a delivery, are on your way to provide a service to a customer or you drive for a living and you are working at the time of your accident, it is work-related. However, you may also be eligible for benefits if your accident occurred when you were running errands for your employer, traveling for work-related purposes, transporting another employee or even if you were picking up lunch on behalf of your boss. You may even be eligible for benefits if your accident occurred during your commute and you are specifically paid by your employer to commute in this way. If you have questions about the specific circumstances surrounding your accident and how they may affect your workers’ compensation eligibility, you may always ask a Palm Beach Gardens workplace accident lawyer.
Legal Help Is Available
If you have been injured in a car or truck accident and that collision was work-related, please consider speaking with an experienced attorney. You may be eligible for workers’ compensation benefits and/or may have grounds to file a personal injury claim in connection to the harm you have suffered. This area of law can be complex, confusing and generally frustrating. But please know that you do not need to navigate this situation alone. Please schedule a consultation with an experienced workplace accident lawyer Palm Beach Gardens workers trust at The Law Offices of Franks, Koenig & Neuwelt, who can help to advise you of your legal options and create a solid legal strategy unique to your circumstances.