Essex, MD Work Injury Lawyer

Workplace injuries can be incredibly frustrating.  You need to work to make money to support yourself and your family, but if your work gets you hurt, then you cannot work anymore.

Fortunately, workers can be entitled to compensation for their injuries, potentially covering medical bills, lost wages, and pain and suffering for as long as the injury keeps them from working.

Our attorneys can help you understand whether you need to file a Workers’ Compensation claim and when you are entitled to a lawsuit to get you coverage for the damages insurance might not cover.  We can also help prove your case and fight your case in court, if necessary, to maximize your compensation.

For a free case evaluation, reach out to Rice, Murtha & Psoras today at (410) 694-7291.

When Injured Workers Can Sue for Compensation in Essex, MD

If you get injured while working within the scope of your duties, the injury will likely be considered “work-related.”  If the injury happens during your commute or while you are on break, the accident likely is not considered a “work injury,” and you can pursue compensation normally.  But when the injury is a work-related work injury, you can only sue in limited situations.

Generally, Maryland law expects people injured at work to file for Workers’ Compensation.  This allows them to get compensated by their employer’s insurance for medical bills and a certain portion of lost wages, all without needing to prove that anyone was at fault for their accident.

This can help injured workers get compensation in cases when they were the ones who caused the accident or when the accident truly was an accident, and no one is really at fault.  However, when other parties are responsible, a lawsuit might be better.

These insurance rules prevent you from suing your employer, meaning that you usually cannot sue when your boss or a coworker – as an extension of your company – caused your injuries.  However, third-party defendants are always fair targets for a lawsuit.  That can mean suing contractors, customers, suppliers, or other parties.

So, for example, if you were hurt because your safety gear was defective, you could be entitled to sue the equipment manufacturer.  If you were hit by a car while working on a roadside construction crew, you could be entitled to sue the driver.  If you were assaulted by a customer while working retail, you could be entitled to sue the customer.  Many other situations are also the kind in which our work injury lawyers can help you sue.

Common Types of Work Injuries in Essex, MD

Work accidents can take many forms, though some are more common than others.  Often, people are injured by electrocution, being caught in or between machinery, falling, or being struck by objects.  Falls can happen from ladders, catwalks, scaffolding, or even ground level in slip-and-fall and fall accidents.

In some industries, assault, and workplace violence are also quite common.  For example, nurses are often assaulted by patients.  People working in customer service, deliveries, and social services are also assaulted at a high rate.

Lifting and carrying injuries are also quite common.  Back injuries are one of the most common causes of lost time at work, whether from acute injuries or long-term injuries exacerbated by working conditions.

Transportation accidents are also very common.  Professional drivers, delivery drivers, truckers, and other people who drive as part of their jobs are always at risk for accidents on the road.  Although they might not be at their “workplace” when these accidents happen, they are nonetheless work-related injuries.

Depending on your specific industry, type of job, and workplace conditions, you could also face injury from repetitive stress injuries, dehydration, heat stroke, chemical exposure, or other dangers.  Work-related illness is also a risk for many people, resulting in cancer or other long-term illnesses after years of exposure to dangers at work.

Damages for Injured Workers in Essex, MD

When you file through insurance for a work injury, you can get certain damages.  However, they are limited, and a lawsuit can open access to additional compensation for non-economic damages.

Medical Expenses

Insurance typically pays for all medical expenses related to your injury, which will be a huge part of the damages in your case.  Some injuries can require ongoing medical care or months of physical therapy and rehabilitation to get you back to full health.

Some injuries will never heal fully, and you will need additional healthcare because of your disability.  All of these expenses should be covered, and they can usually be covered in a lawsuit or an insurance claim.

Lost Wages

Insurance for injured workers will usually cover lost wages, but not at their total value.  The theory is essentially that the fact that your insurance benefits prevent you from having to pay for medical bills justifies reducing your wages.

However, if someone else’s negligence injured you, you should be entitled to total lost wages and entire medical expenses, so it makes little sense to reduce your lost wage payments.  In a lawsuit, your total lost wages can be claimed at their total value.

Pain and Suffering

All injuries result in harm beyond what you can record on a receipt or financial statement.  This harm includes things like physical pain, mental and emotional distress, fear, discomfort, embarrassment, hopelessness, and other things that are quite personal to you.

Although it is hard to share these experiences or prove how severe they were, you can still get compensation for these and other “non-economic damages” usually lumped under the title “pain and suffering.”

These damages cannot be paid through an insurance claim with your employer’s insurance.  As such, the only way to get them is through a lawsuit, whether you end up settling or taking the case all the way through trial.

Call Our Essex, MD Work Injury Attorneys Today

For help with your case, call (410) 694-7291 for a free case review with Rice, Murtha & Psoras’ work injury lawyers.