Who is Held Responsible in a Third-Party Claim?

When an employee is injured on the job, they are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. These can provide much-needed financial compensation for medical expenses, as well as wage loss benefits in those cases where the worker’s injuries are bad enough to keep them out of work on a temporary basis or permanently. Workers’ compensation is specifically a no-fault form of insurance: the employee does not have to sue their employer for negligence or prove that their employer is to blame for their injury as the benefit is provided regardless of what the cause of the injury was. But there are some instances where a person or entity other than the employer may have contributed to or caused the injury. When this is the case, the injured worker may be able to file a third-party claim and seek additional damages for the injury that they suffered.

Examples of Third-Party Work Injury Claims

There are many ways that a third party outside of your employer’s control can contribute to or cause an injury. Some examples include:

• Automobile Accidents – If you are driving or a passenger in a company vehicle, or driving or a passenger in another employee’s vehicle or your own car while running a work errand and you are in an accident, the person who caused the accident can be sued as a responsible third party.
• Defective Products – If you are working and using a piece of equipment or tool that causes an injury as a result of a defect in its design, manufacturing or failure to warn, you can hold the product’s manufacturer, seller, and others in the supply chain responsible as third parties.
• Co-Worker Assault – One of the most common workplace injuries occurs as a result of co-worker negligence or assault. If somebody that you work with caused your injuries through either an attack or gross negligence, you can pursue a third-party claim against them.
• Contractor Negligence – When employees of other companies or individual contractors are negligent in their actions and cause your injury, they can be held responsible as third parties.

Suing A Third Party for an On-the-Job Injury

Every work injury is different and needs to be assessed by skilled professionals to determine where liability lies and what actions should be taken. If you’ve been hurt on the job, you may be eligible to file both workers’ compensation and a third-party claim. To make sure you get the compensation that you deserve, contact Vanasse Law to set up an appointment to discuss your case.