Orange County Work Injury Lawyer

Orange County Work Accident Attorneys

Work injuries pose serious threats. In 2005 alone, work accidents killed more than 5,700 workers and sickened or injured another 4.2 million workers. When a work accident causes a work injury, the worker is left to pay a steep price - in pain, short- or long-term disability and lost wages.

Some work accidents happen in the workplace. Other times, a work-related injury may occur offsite, such as when a truck driver is struck by another motorist or a salesman suffers a work injury in a fall.

If you suffer a work injury in a work accident, you may be entitled to obtain money for your injuries. The most common legal option for someone with a work-related injury is to be paid workers' compensation. Sometimes the injured worker can also recover damages from another person or business that helped cause the work injury. If a catastrophic work accident caused a worker's injury that led to death, the worker's family members may be entitled to recover compensation. Do not hesitate to contact an experienced Orange County work injury lawyer for a free consultation regarding your case.

Workers' Compensation Claims in Orange County

In Orange County, employers are required by law to carry workers' compensation insurance. This insurance allows workers who suffer a work injury to recover benefits. These benefits cover many costs related to the work accident, including medical care and rehabilitation for the workplace injury. An injured worker is entitled to these benefits even if the employer was not at fault for the work-related injury.

Workers' compensation benefits typically include coverage for:

• Medical costs from the work accident.
• Disability caused by the work accident.
• Rehabilitation of the work injury.
• Death benefits for family of the work accident victim.

In most cases, workers' compensation is the only form of benefits an injured worker can recover directly from the employer. The worker does not have to prove that the employer was at fault for the work accident in order to be paid benefits. The worker need only show that the work accident or work injury happened on the job.

The amount of compensation a worker receives for a work accident depends on the type of work injury sustained. Work injuries are classified in the workers' compensation system as:

• Total disability, permanent.
• Total disability, temporary.
• Partial disability, permanent.
• Partial disability, temporary.

If you or your loved one suffers a work injury in a work accident in Orange County or elsewhere, you should make sure that a workers compensation claim is filed immediately. A prolonged delay could diminish or eliminate the right to recover for a work injury.

Suing the Orange County Employer and Others

Here in Orange County, workers who suffer work-related injuries are usually limited in bringing lawsuits. Many with work injuries can recover only through the workers' compensation system.

Certain cases, however, allow exceptions to this rule. In some cases, the injured worker is entitled to bring a lawsuit against the employer or another party. The advantage to this is that the lawsuit may allow the worker to recover damages for items not covered by workers' compensation. Damages for pain and suffering and punitive damages are two examples.

Employers in Orange County can be held accountable in a lawsuit for their deliberate acts. Thus, if an employer deliberately causes a work injury or breaks a work safety law and causes a work injury, the worker may not be limited to workers' compensation. For example, if a trucker falls asleep at the wheel and suffers a work injury because his employer required him to drive more hours than the law allows, the trucker may be able to sue the employer for the work accident.

Parties other than the employer also may be at fault for the work accident. Suit against them is not barred by recovery through the workers' compensation system. For instance, if the trucker sustained a work injury because a drunk driver hit him, the trucker could sue the drunk driver. The trucker would still be entitled to workers' compensation, but the lawsuit may pay additional damages.

The Right Lawyer for an Orange County Workplace Injury Case

The workers' compensation system may not be a worker's only option for recovery after a work accident. A lawsuit against a third party or employer may also be possible. An experienced Orange County work injury lawyer can counsel you. The Orange County work accident attorney will ensure that you explore and pursue all available legal options.

Attorneys at The Reeves Law Group are ready to help you explore your work accident recovery options. We handle only third party and employer work injury suits, but we have close associations with attorney firms that deal with workers' compensation claims. We would be happy to put you in touch with one of them so that all of your work accident recovery options are covered.

Our Orange County-based lawyers have our firm's years of personal injury experience to back them up while they work hard to bring your work accident case to its best possible conclusion. For a free consultation with an attorney concerning your work injury case, please call us at (800) 644-8000 or e-mail us.