Ask the Expert: What Happens If I Am Injured At Work?

Getting hurt at work can really turn your life upside down, and so many people aren't even sure about what kind of help is available to them. So Ben Gideon with the Gideon Aisen Law Firm is here to help us navigate some of these questions. Ben, thank you so much for being here. Let's talk about when folks do get hurt at work. What is the first thing or some of the first things they should do? So most people are familiar with workers' compensation. That is insurance coverage that almost all employees have that if they get injured at work, they automatically get certain benefits. What most people don't understand is that there's a separate independent system, the liability system, that provides fuller and broader ability to get a recovery for workplace injuries. So let's talk about workers' comp first. That's sort of the base level you're referring to. What does that typically cover and maybe doesn't cover? So workers' compensation covers a portion of your lost earnings from the time you're out of work for your injury plus the medical bills associated with that injury. That's it, though. What should people do, though, if there was maybe a third party or some faulty equipment or unsafe equipment they were working with? What then? Anytime somebody suffers a catastrophic injury at work, they really should contact a lawyer like us because we will help evaluate whether there's also, in addition to the workers' comp claim, a liability claim. And that allows a much more fuller recovery for the individual so that they can recover things like pain and suffering, lost enjoyment of life. In some cases, that may be millions of dollars above and beyond what the workers' compensation system can offer them. So if somebody is sort of feeling overwhelmed right now, they got hurt at work, they're not really sure what to do next or who to go to, what would be some of those best next steps for them? So, of course, they wanna put in their workers' comp claim. That usually just means notifying their employer, and that will happen automatically. They may need to seek a workers' compensation attorney, and we can help them with that if that's being challenged. And then in addition to that, they should reach out to a firm like ours who can help them navigate the liability system. So if anybody would like more information on this topic or your law firm, what's the best way to find you? Just give us a call or find us online. Excellent. Ben, thank you so much. And of course, we'll have more information as well on wgme dot com.