How to know if you need a Lake Worth work injury attorney?
If you’ve been injured on the job, you might wish to contact a local Lake Worth injury lawyer for assistance and legal counsel. At The Law Offices of Franks, Koenig, & Neuwelt, our legal team has experience handling claims for clients who have been injured in work-related tasks. Before contacting a Lake Worth injury lawyer, you might wish to have some background knowledge about how workers’ compensation and injury claims function. Here’s a quick look at what workers’ compensation is all about.
What is workers’ compensation?
Workers’ compensation is a state-sponsored program that operates much like an insurance program. It provides financial compensation for individuals who are injured at the workplace and/or while performing work-related tasks.
Who can receive workers’ compensation benefits?
Some businesses (especially small businesses and entrepreneurs) may be exempt from workers’ compensation, but most states require the majority of businesses to subscribe to a policy.
There are two main requirements for individuals who wish to file a workers’ compensation claim:
- The company must have a workers’ compensation policy
- The person must be an employee at the company
Employees working in certain industries, such as construction or manufacturing, may be more prone to injuries on the job. However, as an experienced Lake Worth injury lawyer could explain, workers in all industries may face some risk of sustaining injuries. Workers’ compensation is designed to provide financial assistance regardless of industry.
What if an employee is responsible for his/her injury?
Liability is important in workers’ compensation claims but it often does not matter who was responsible for causing an accident, so long as it occurred on the job. An employee may still be able to receive payments through workers’ compensation even if he/she was negligent.
If liability is disputed in a workers’ compensation claim, the employer might be arguing that the injury did not occur due to a work-related task. This dispute is especially possible, as a injury lawyer Lake Worth can provide might know, when a worker sustains a repetitive motion injury or stress-related injury wherein symptoms manifest over a long period of time.
How is workers’ compensation different from a personal injury lawsuit?
Many companies offer workers’ compensation coverage for their employees in order to avoid injury lawsuits. If an injured employee receives financial compensation through a workers’ comp policy, he/she may not be allowed to pursue additional financial damages through an injury lawsuit.
However, certain cases may justify additional legal action through a civil lawsuit. In this case, individuals might benefit from seeking legal counsel from a trusted Lake Worth injury lawyer before taking action. Civil suits may still be allowed if an employee is injured from a defective product or from the actions of an individual who is not part of the company.
Contact a Local Injury Lawyer in Lake Worth
When you need a work injury lawyer you can trust, The Law Offices of Franks, Koenig, & Neuwelt is here to help. Our legal team is equipped to handle work injury cases for local clients regardless of how the injury occurred. For more information about our firm, or to request a free case evaluation with a top Lake Worth injury lawyer, contact us today or submit a short form on our website for assistance.