• 03
  • February
    2012

Workplace accidents are very common in Alabama. The process usually involves notice to your employer, then you are given permission to go to the emergency room. You miss a few days from work and that's it. But what about severe and catastrophic injuries that result in a lifetime disability? Unfortunately, for most Alabama workers, worker's compensation benefits are meager and insufficient for long term needs.

However, there are a few options for those situations where the injury is permanent and debilitating. We are referring to "third-party" claims against someone other than the employer. These claims arise when an injury is caused by a non-employer.

Examples of potential third-parties include:

a. subcontractors

b. product manufacturers

c. supervisory co-employees

d. fabricators or installers of injury-causing machinery

e. parent company of the employer

To see how this works, let's use the following example: you are asked to drive your supervisor's car to Birmingham to make a delivery. You leave from ABC Company in Cullman, traveling I-65. On the way, an 18 wheeler owned by XYZ Company sideswipes you, causing a major car crash. Seriously injured, you are transported to UAB with permanent injuries that prevent you from working at your job.

In the above example, you can receive workers comp benefits from the insurance carrier for ABC Company and maintain a suit against XYZ Company for all the things Alabama's workers comp doesn't provide, such as compensation for future lost wages, loss of earning capacity, mental anguish, pain and suffering, etc.

If you have been injured on-the-job, don't ignore the possiblity of hiring an Alabama workplace accidents lawyer to assist you in getting full compensation for your claims.