Who’s Responsible When a Worker Is Injured on the Job?

On the job injuries and occupational illnesses happen every day in Washington, even when workers and employers are taking care to follow safety protocols and pay attention to their work. Nobody benefits from injuries that occur on the job, as employers are faced with the temporary or permanent loss of an employee, and the employee loses the ability to work.

When a worker is injured on the job, establishing responsibility – and ensuring that the injured person receives compensation from every party whose negligence contributed to the harm – can be complex without the help of an experienced injury lawyer.

Workers’ Compensation

The first step for nearly all injured workers in Washington is workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation is insurance purchased by an employer to cover certain costs related to injuries or occupational illnesses that workers suffer on the job. The purpose of workers’ compensation is to provide coverage for medical bills, disability, job retraining, and similar expenses without forcing either the injured worker or the employer to go through a protracted legal battle first.

Despite this, both employers and workers’ compensation insurers may raise objections to a particular claim. Instead of navigating a complex and often unfamiliar system, many injured individuals work with attorneys whose experience handling similar claims allows them to address any problems more efficiently.

Third Party Liability

While workers’ compensation covers some of the costs associated with a workplace accident or injury, it may not cover all of them. In addition, some accidents result from the negligence of a third party who is neither the injured person nor the employer. In these situations, seeking to hold that negligent third party accountable can help meet additional costs that workers’ compensation does not cover.

Common types of third party liability in workplace injury cases include:

• Car accidents caused by a third party driver while a worker is driving as part of his or her job duties,
• Slip and fall, trip and fall, and similar accidents caused by dangerous conditions on premises that a worker must visit in the course of his or her job duties,
• Injuries from hidden defects in products, tools, or equipment that were manufactured or distributed by a third party. These defects may include flaws in manufacturing, unreasonably dangerous design elements, or missing or incomplete warnings about potential dangers.

An experienced lawyer can also help injured clients identify potential third party liability sources and seek compensation where appropriate.

Choosing an Experienced Injury Lawyer

When you’ve been injured b, it’s important to choose an attorney who can help you at every step of your case. From fielding calls from medical providers or investigating whether an equipment manufacturer, negligent driver, or other third party should also be held accountable, an attorney is essential.

At Bolan Law Group., our Washington state injury lawyers strive to help our clients secure the compensation they deserve, so that our clients can focus on healing. To learn more, contact us today via our online contact form, or give us a call at (253) 470-2356.