Third Party Claims in Construction Accidents

Your Rights to File a Personal Injury Claim

When you’ve been hurt on the job, your first course of action will typically be to notify your employer and file a workers’ compensation claim. Though workers’ compensation is often referred to as your “exclusive remedy” for work-related injuries, that’s a little misleading. In fact, under the right circumstances, you can file a workers’ compensation claim and a civil lawsuit for personal injury simultaneously. Here’s how it works.

The workers’ compensation laws were enacted with the intent of benefiting both workers and employers. As an injured worker, the workers’ compensation laws generally give you access to benefits with less hassle and in a more timely manner. If your application is approved, you can often start receiving benefits in just a few weeks. Another benefit to the workers’ compensation system—a worker doesn’t have to show negligence in order to get compensation. All you need to show is that you were working and you were injured.

The trade off for this convenience, though, is that the benefits to which you are entitled are limited. They are based on your prior year’s wages, with a ceiling on the amount that will be paid. In a personal injury lawsuit, though it can take months or years before you get to trial and even more years before you receive any payment (if a verdict is appealed), the jury has more discretion with respect to the amount of damages that can be awarded.

The workers’ compensation laws, however, are intended to provide a remedy only for injuries caused by the carelessness or negligence of an employer or co-worker. If you can show that your injuries were caused by an unrelated third party, you are not limited to recovery through a workers’ compensation claim. Common situations where an injured worker may file a personal injury lawsuit in court include:

• Injuries caused by a dangerous or defective tool, machine or piece of equipment manufactured by a third party
• Injuries caused by someone on an adjacent job site
• Injuries suffered in a motor vehicle accident where the at-fault driver was neither a co-worker nor your employer

Contact Our Office

For a private consultation with an experienced and proven New Jersey personal injury lawyer, call us at 973-315-9080 or contact us online. Appointments are available evenings and weekends, if necessary. Our offices are conveniently located in Springfield, Newark and Bedminster, and we’ll travel to your home or the hospital for a consultation. We welcome all major credit cards. Nosotros Hablamos Español!