Whenever a person gets injured while working, they are more than likely going to be able to recover compensation from their employer thanks to the worker’s compensation law. Employees across the United States are all covered by worker’s compensation laws. This means that legally, you are not able to file a regular lawsuit for damages if you were injured or got sick in the workplace.
The truth is that your right to hire a Worker’s Compensation Attorney and file for worker’s compensation benefits is about protecting more than just you. It is about protecting employers as well. Once you receive worker’s compensation for an injury or illness, you are waiving your right to sue that employer for anything that has to do with that injury or illness. This means that if ten years from now the injury causes problems in your life out of the blue, you cannot sue your employer for more money.
It is not uncommon for people to be torn between hiring a Worker’s Compensation Attorney to sue or to file for compensation. You should start by asking yourself how quickly you need that money and how much you could benefit from it. You receive worker’s compensation benefits shortly after you file for them. It can take months and even years to receive money if you outright sue your employer.
Worker’s compensation benefits are easier to obtain than suing your employer for damages. This is because you are entitled to those benefits regardless of who or what caused you to get hurt in the first place. As long as you got hurt while you were doing your job, you are entitled to them.
When you sue your employer, a law firm such as William D. McGillicuddy Law Office PC has a lot more to prove than they would with worker’s compensation. Your employer will also likely hire a better lawyer and put more effort into fighting your lawsuit than they would your claim for compensation. If you lose your lawsuit, you have lost the money you may have needed. At least with worker’s compensation, you could sue your employer if you end up getting denied compensation benefits. You cannot go back and demand compensation benefits because the lawsuit did not work out.
