Representing Victims of Job Related Injuries Since 1972 – Dedicated Workers Compensation Law Firm
Many workers in the U.S. labor in dangerous occupations and face the risk of on-the-job injury on an almost daily basis. While the Occupational Safety and Health Administration and other federal and state agencies and regulations provide safety rules to promote workplace safety, sometimes employees still suffer serious workplace injuries. When an employee is injured on-the-job, the process for compensating injury victims differs substantially from non-work related injuries. Generally, the workers compensation system provides the exclusive remedy for employees who are injured by a workplace injury or occupational illness.
Jacoby & Meyers Law Offices have been effectively leading injured clients through the workers compensation process since our inception in 1972. Because a workplace injury will typically mean a period of disability from employment, these injuries can create enormous stress on an injured worker and his or her family because of the loss of income during time off work. Though the exact workers compensation requirements differ based on state law, employers are generally required to carry workers compensation insurance or qualify for self-insurance to cover injured employees even if they have only one employee. The workers compensation system can be complicated and generally provides less extensive compensation to injury victims than a personal injury lawsuit.
If you suffer a work-related injury, you should contact an experienced workers compensation lawyer at Jacoby & Meyers before your employer shuttles you off to an industrial or occupational work injury clinic. It is a much better idea to see your own physician and obtain legal advice prior to being evaluated or treated by a doctor at this type of clinic. The doctors at these clinics tend to be favorable to employers typically providing a very conservative diagnosis and overly optimistic prognosis for recovery. These doctors rely on employers for patients and have a financial incentive to keep the referrals rolling in. Consistent finding of significant long-term disability by these doctors does not provide much incentive for such referrals. A workers compensation attorney at Jacoby & Meyers will typically seek an independent medical evaluation and report.
Understanding the Workers Compensation System for Workplace Injuries
Unlike a personal injury lawsuit, you do not need to prove fault on behalf of your employer to qualify for workers compensation benefits. The workers compensation system was designed to provide a fast efficient “no fault” system that protects both employers and employees when a workplace injury occurs. If you are injured on the job, you have a right to file a workers compensation claim even if you may have been partially responsible for your own injury. However, state law sometimes provides limited restrictions, such as injuries that result from using drugs or alcohol on the job.
While it is advantageous to an injured employee that there is no need to prove fault to successfully make a workers compensation claim, the workers compensation system is generally much less generous in terms of compensating injury victims than a personal injury claim. A workers compensation claim will provide medical coverage for your injuries. Workers compensation will also typically compensate you for lost earnings while off-work and partial or full disability based on your degree of permanent impairment.
There are many types of occupational injuries and illnesses that can occur because of a sudden traumatic accident, prolonged exposure to a hazardous substance or repetitive motion injury (i.e. carpal tunnel). Some common occupations for which the dedicated workers compensation lawyers at Jacoby and Meyers provide legal representation include:
Construction Accidents: The construction industry is rated as the most dangerous industry for work related injuries with approximately 150,000 construction industry employees injured annually. Falls from scaffoldings, ladders, incomplete floors and other elevations are the leading cause of construction accidents that result in injuries or even fatalities. We also handle a wide variety of other construction site injuries including those caused by the following:
- Explosions and fires
- Defective generators
- Defective excavator equipment
- Motor vehicle accidents
- Defective construction equipment
- Defective nail guns
- Construction and scaffolding accidents
- Electrocution accidents
- Heavy machinery accidents
Some of the other industries for which we handle work-related injuries include but are not limited to the following manufacturing, agricultural, secretarial, emergency response services, clerical and professional occupations.
Innovative On-The-Job Injury Strategies for Increasing Your Recovery
Because the compensation available in a personal injury lawsuit is fairly limited, the innovative workers compensation lawyers at Jacoby and Meyers will often look for other responsible parties that contributed to your injury. Workers compensation is an exclusive remedy for a workplace injury only against your employer and co-workers. Frequently, other businesses or contractors or their agents or employees may share fault for causing your injuries. Our workers compensation attorneys may be able to file a personal injury lawsuit and a workers compensation claim with your employer to take advantage of the workers compensation “no fault” system while seeking broader damages against a third party in a personal injury action.
Jacoby & Meyers Are Your Workers Compensation Lawyers
The committed and caring team of workers compensation lawyers at Jacoby and Meyers Law Offices recognize the financial and physical obstacles that face those who suffer serious injuries at the job site. The emotional stress and confusion of dealing with the complexities of the worker compensation system multiply this pressure. Our aggressive workplace injury lawyers often help our clients obtain substantially more compensation by seeking objective medical evaluations as opposed to relying on medical reports prepared by doctors with a financial interest in understating your injuries and level of disability.
Jacoby and Meyers will also carefully analyze the circumstances of your workplace accident to determine if you may be able to pursue both a workers compensation claim against your employer and a personal injury claim against a third party. Our workers compensation law firm offer a unique mix of litigation strengths including decades of experience, thorough understanding of workers compensation and personal injury law and dogged determination to help our clients seek the maximum possible recovery to facilitate our clients’ recovery and the well-being of their families. Jacoby & Meyers has become synonymous with representing injury victims; we urge you to contact us to learn why.
We offer a free consultation so contact us to obtain a confidential evaluation of your workers compensation claim. We have offices nationwide, including Southern California, New York, Alabama, Florida, and Arizona so call us at 1-800-411-4LAW to see how we can help.
