One of the worst situations that can befall a worker is being injured in an accident. Do injured workers have options to sue their employers for workplace accidents? Most employers use workers’ compensation, meaning that unless the injuries were caused by an intentional act, workers would not have grounds to file a lawsuit. However, there are many other examples where employees could file lawsuits that happen frequently. These are called ‘third party claims’.

Third party claims are exactly what they sound like, where a negligent third party is responsible for injuring a worker. For example, let’s say you were driving to a client to deliver supplies, but get hit by a drunk driver. The drunk driver would be the third party in this scenario. Another example could be a defective product made by a third party manufacturer causing your injuries.

Although these types of accident can happen in almost any occupation, they happen frequently in industrial workplace settings. For example, the oil or mining industries. Many different contractors and companies work together in these industries, meaning workers are more likely to be injured by third parties.

Why You Should Look into Third Party Claims After a Work Injury

While it is important to file for and receive workers’ compensation after a work accident, the benefits may not be enough depending on the severity of an injury. Workers’ compensation does not cover pain and suffering. Third party lawsuits do cover pain and suffering, meaning the reward or settlement can be much higher.

An experienced personal injury attorney can help you explore legal options after being injured in a workplace accident.