If you have been injured at work, take immediate action. Your employer’s liability insurance should cover you. Many people are hesitant to claim compensation from their employers, fearing reprisals such as termination or dismissal. However, it is illegal for a company to dismiss an employee because they have claimed compensation from them, so that’s not something you have to worry about. This post will explore this topic in more detail, telling you how you should deal with site accidents and what you need to do in order to secure a settlement from your employer.
Employer Negligence
The most common cause of site accidents is employer negligence. Unfortunately, many companies don’t take the time to properly train their workforce. Instead, they let them loose on construction sites with minimal experience and training. Somebody who hasn’t been trained and is inexperienced should never be allowed to work on a construction site. Construction sites can be very dangerous. The experts from Walnut Creek Construction Accident Lawyers make clear on their website that if you have been injured at work, whether because of employer negligence or carelessness on the part of a colleague, you need to take legal action. An attorney will be able to get you the compensation you deserve so that you can focus on recovering. Legal action will be explored in more detail in the next section.
A negligent employer is a dangerous one. Your main responsibility if you catch your boss being careless should be to report them. A regulatory conduct authority will be able to punish them, levying fines against them. If your boss regularly behaves recklessly, try to get them on film. Capturing your employer’s carelessness on film will make it impossible for them to deny your claims. Also worth noting is that if other employees have been injured in the past and you suspect your employer’s negligence was behind it, you should get in touch with them and explain to them that they can make a claim for compensation. Joint and group claims can be a lot more profitable than independent ones. A personal injury lawyer will be able to explain how joint and group claims work, so get in touch with one. You can also take your employer to a workplace tribunal if you have evidence of them behaving negligently. This is especially true if you have suffered in some way because of their negligence.
Legal Action
As mentioned above, if your employer’s negligence has led to you getting injured, you can take legal action against them. Making a claim for compensation is the best way to ensure that you receive the justice that you deserve. You can make a claim alone, though it’s much better to enlist a personal injury attorney’s support. A personal injury lawyer will be able to give your case the care and consideration that it deserves, ensuring it is dealt with professionally and effectively. Try to find the most qualified, experienced lawyer you can.
A good way to ensure that the lawyer you are hiring is qualified and experienced is to read their reviews. An attorney’s reviews can tell you a lot about them and will make it much easier for you to decide if they are the right one for you or not. In addition to reviews, take a look at fees. How much is your chosen attorney charging for their support? The lower their fees, the better. Your main priority should be maximizing the amount of compensation that you get. Finding a lawyer with low fees means you will keep more of your final settlement.
Disability Benefits
If the injuries you sustained were serious enough to prevent you from being able to go back to work, you could be eligible for disability benefits. Disability benefits are paid to people suffering from illnesses and injuries that stop them from being able to earn a living for themselves normally. The process of applying for disability benefits can be very confusing, which is why it’s worth enlisting an attorney’s support. Most personal injury lawyers are experienced in the process of applying for disability benefits, so they will be able to help you. You do need to ensure you hire the most experienced attorney you can for this reason.
If you want to make an application on your own (i.e., without an attorney’s help), there are a large number of guides and tutorials that you can use online. If you are planning on using one of these, make sure that you follow each step carefully. Even minor mistakes on your application can prevent you from being accepted. Also worth noting is that you will have to attend a physical examination, so make sure you describe your injuries as truthfully and honestly as you can. Don’t exaggerate them just to get a higher disability benefit amount.
Staying Truthful
In the last part of the previous section, truthfulness was mentioned. You need to be honest and consistent throughout your claim. Telling mistruths in order to get a higher settlement amount can get you into a lot of trouble. Lying on a personal injury claim is actually a fraud. If you are caught, your case will be dismissed, and your lawyer will likely refuse to represent you again in the future. The insurance company you were claiming compensation from will probably also take legal action against you so they can reclaim the costs of dealing with your claim.
One of the best ways to ensure nobody questions the validity of your claim is to obtain evidence. One form of evidence worth obtaining is a medical letter, ideally written by your family physician or the doctor who saw you at the ER on the day you went in with your injuries. A medical letter will prove the details of your case, how your injuries were caused, and how they will impact you in the future. You can also supply your lawyer with photos of your injuries, a video of the scene, and ideally an admission of guilt from your employer.
Accidents that take place on construction sites can be very serious. It’s important that they are dealt with quickly and effectively. If you have been injured at work, get in touch with a lawyer and ask for their support. A lawyer will be able to get you the compensation and justice that you deserve.
