Each year, thousands of people are injured in Colorado while at work. These injuries reduce employer productivity, strain family finances, and leave workers in considerable pain.
At our firm, we understand the struggles that injured employees must endure. The state’s workers’ compensation system is often too skimpy and doesn’t cover an employee’s entire losses. Helpfully, you might be able to sue someone else if they were responsible for the accident that injured you.
Sources of Work-Related Injuries
Workers are injured in many ways. A recent report from Insurance Journal highlighted the most common sources of injuries at work:
- Overexertion. This accounted for about a quarter of all workplace injuries. Employees can overexert themselves lifting, holding, carrying, pushing, pulling, or throwing. Sometimes, employees are injured sitting, walking, kneeling, or climbing.
- Falls on the same level. An employee can trip and fall or slip and fall on many objects, such as power cords that cross the room, uneven floorboards, and worn carpeting. Falls accounted for around 15% of all workplace injuries.
- Struck by an object. A worker might be injured in a traumatic accident involving a collision with a heavy object, such as a piece of equipment. For example, a construction worker might get hit by a crane. This type of accident accounted for around 9% of all workplace injuries.
- Falls to a lower level. If you climb a great height as part of your job, as many construction workers do, you can be injured when you fall to another level. These falls made up around 9% of all injuries.
- Roadway accidents. Some workers must travel for work and can get into a collision with another vehicle while out on the road. This type of accident accounted for 1 in 20 (5%) of all workplace injuries.
- Repetitive stress. If you make the same type of motions over and over, you can easily develop a strain or inflammation, which can press on nerves and cause pain. Repetitive stress injuries made up around 3% of all workplace accidents.
Report any workplace injury to your employer right away. Also collect helpful information, such as the names of eyewitnesses and how you were hurt. This evidence can be helpful to experienced Grand Junction Workplace Injury lawyers later when trying to recover compensation for your injuries.
What Kind of Compensation Can You Receive?
If you were injured in the scope of employment, you can receive workers’ compensation benefits, which will cover reasonably necessary medical care and about two-thirds of your wages if you are disabled.
Sadly, this amount of compensation is rarely enough. Many injured workers have bills they cannot pay, especially if they can’t immediately return to work. They need more compensation to cover their losses, otherwise they might lose their home or apartment.
Unfortunately, Colorado’s workers’ compensation law prevents you from suing your employer if they caused your injuries. For example, your employer might have allowed equipment to get worn out and not replace it. Even though your employer is to blame, you can’t sue them.
When Can You Sue a Third Party?
Just because you can’t sue your employer doesn’t mean you can’t sue a different person or business if they were responsible. This is called bringing a “third-party lawsuit.” There are some common situations where workers can bring one of these suits:
- You were injured by a defective product or piece of equipment. For example, if a saw blows up in your face, then you can often sue the manufacturer of the defective product. Workers’ compensation does not bar these lawsuits.
- A vendor or client injured you. For example, you might have been removing goods from a vendor’s truck when it collapsed. Here, the vendor was probably negligent, which led to your injury.
- A stranger injured you. You might drive as part of your job when you get into an accident caused by another motorist. This person is to blame, and you can bring a lawsuit against them.
Third-party lawsuits are critical because you can receive full recovery of all lost wages. You can also possibly qualify for pain and suffering damages, which are often considerable. Many injured employees do not know whether they can bring a valid third-party claim, so meeting with a Grand Junction workplace injury lawyer is vital.
Speak to Legal Counsel Today
If you have been injured at work, you are probably worried about how you will provide for your future. Contact Cimarron Ridge Legal Group today. We have helped many injured workers obtain the compensation they need to move on with their lives.
At your free, initial consultation with an experienced Grand Junction workplace injury lawyer, we can review the circumstances of your workplace injury and identify whether you have a claim for compensation. Please call (970) 644-5194.