Maryland Workplace Accident + Injury Attorney

Injuries at work may keep you from doing your job while you recover.  If the injuries are more severe or cause you permanent disabilities and injuries, you may be unable to return to work at all, or you could be forced to take a lower-paying job or a position with less-demanding work tasks.  If this is the case, you could face reduced earnings yet still face expensive medical bills and other damages from your injuries.

If you or a loved one was injured at work, call the Maryland workplace accident and injury attorneys at Rice, Murtha & Psoras today.  Our attorneys fight to get injured workers the compensation they need and to fight their cases for them.  For your free legal consultation, call us today at (410) 694-7291.

Filing a Lawsuit for a Workplace Injury in Maryland

When you are injured because of someone else’s negligence or poor decisions, you can often sue them.  This can help you seek compensation for any medical expenses you faced from injuries, lost wages the injury caused, and other damages like pain and suffering.  When you are injured at work, sometimes the state’s workers’ compensation laws will prevent you from suing.  However, you can typically seek higher damages when you file a lawsuit as workers’ compensation systems typically do not allow victims to claim the full value of their lost wages, and they bar victims from claiming pain and suffering damages.

There are typically rules that allow you to file a lawsuit instead of filing a workers’ compensation claim.  the first of these exceptions is for independent contractors.  Since contractors are not technically employees, they are often not covered by a company’s workers’ compensation insurance.  This gives them the ability to sue their client for injuries sustained at a job site and hold any responsible parties liable for their damages.  Similarly, an employer can also sue for injuries at work in the same manner, since the employer is not covered under the workers’ compensation plan – just the workers are.

A second exception exists for intentional injuries.  If your employer or supervisor assaulted you or started a fight with you, the workers’ compensation insurance at your workplace will typically not cover this.  Instead, you can sue your employer and the other responsible parties to get compensation.  This compensation could include punitive damages, which a court can issue to punish an especially negligent or problematic party.

Lastly, there is usually an exception that allows you to file a lawsuit against a third party.  While workers’ comp. might stop you from suing your employer, it does nothing to stop you from suing someone else who was liable for an accident or injuries you faced.  This allows you to sue other drivers who caused a car crash while you were working as a driver or delivery person as well as negligent manufacturers who may have provided you with faulty safety gear or malfunctioning equipment.

Talk to a lawyer about whether you can sue in your case and how to seek the maximum compensation for your injuries.

Common Examples of Workplace Injuries in Maryland

Victims of workplace injuries can suffer harm in many ways.  Lifting and carrying injuries are some of the most common injuries sustained at work, and back injuries are responsible for many missed days of work throughout the country.  If you were hurt lifting or carrying something, your employer might be responsible for failing to provide you with safety gear, forklift equipment, or assistance to prevent injuries.

Workplace violence is also responsible for quite a high percentage of workplace injuries.  Work injuries can often be caused by disagreements getting out of hand or becoming violent, and those injuries might yield increased punitive damages, as discussed above.

Workers in the transportation industry face some of the highest incidences of workplace accident injuries.  Truck drivers and delivery drivers could be involved in car crashes and truck accidents, as spending more time on the road increases the risk that you will be involved in an accident.  These accidents could cause any range of injuries, from bumps and bruises to life-altering brain and spinal injuries.  Many truck drivers are protected by the size and weight of their vehicles, but drivers in any vehicle could be killed during high-speed collisions.

Victims of injuries at work can also be injured in many other ways.  it is typically the employer’s job to help protect the employees by providing the training and safety gear necessary to keep workers safe.  Moreover, the employer should make sure that the work environment is safe by installing safety equipment, emergency shut-off switches, handrails, and other systems to keep the workplace safe.  Many of these safety standards are put forth by the State of Maryland or the U.S. government, especially through agencies like OSHA.  A violation of these safety standards may be sufficient cause to hold the employer responsible for any injuries resulting from these mistakes and violations, and victims of these injuries can often get compensation by using these rules to their advantage.

Many workplace injury victims are unfortunately killed in accidents.  the surviving family members of these deadly workplace accidents are often entitled to file lawsuits for their loss, holding the employer or other responsible parties accountable for the death.

Call Our Maryland Workplace Injury Attorneys for a Free Consultation

Rice, Murtha & Psoras ’s Maryland workplace injury attorneys represent injured workers and their families and fight to get them compensation after serious injuries at work.  For a free legal consultation and help understanding how to proceed with your claim, call our law offices today at (410) 694-7291 to set up a free legal consultation on your case.