Personal Injury Attorney Tampa

Are All Workplace Injuries Treated The Same?

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Human beings are prone to accidents. Many of these accidents happen anywhere and everywhere. One does not have to work in an industrial environment. Some accidents occur in day to day office activities. These are some of the many places that accidents tend to happen. With a personal injury attorney Tampa, their injury attorneys have the skills and diverse experience needed to tackle all types of injury. They can help one determine if it is possible to file a worker’s compensation claim for an injury. If one gets an injury during the day to day of a job, one should be given a worker’s compensation under Florida statutory law. The law provides a fair amount of wage replacement and medical bill advantages to help one to get well from injuries. These welfares can also cover family members who depend on one’s salary.

The most paramount legislative right for workers’ compensation is to ensure that the benefits help the employee to recover quickly. With the help of these benefits, the employee is quick to return to full employment after recovering with the help of the employer. The benefits should be a reasonable amount to both the employee and employer. The main aspect in obtaining these benefits is time. An employee ought to be able to document their injuries and give a notification to the employer within a month. Failure to do that, one does not get to have these practical benefits from the workers’ compensation.

There are some examples of worker benefits due to an injury like permanent impairment benefits. These occur one the employee is still impaired even after reaching a maximum medical improvement. One should be paid according to their impairment rating. Secondly, a permanent total disability that may include spinal cord, severe brain or head injury can benefit one with pay of 66 and 2/3 percent of weekly wages.

Furthermore, a temporary partial disability is for those who can return to work but cannot reach the same salary they did before the accident. Their benefits should be able to amount to 80 percent of the difference what was earned earlier and what the employee can make after the accident or injury. This may not exceed 26 months or until the employee gets better.

In 2011, there were more than a million workers in the U.S who suffered injuries or got ill. These reports from the U.S Department of Labor Statistics, over 4500 fatal work injuries were recorded. In the state of Florida, over 200 workers died from workplace injuries according to the data obtained by Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Their breakdown is as follows;

Deaths caused by fires and explosions – 4
Deaths caused by machinery – 26

Deaths due to exposure to damaging environments – 27
Deaths caused by slip-and-falls – 36
Deaths caused by violence – 44
Deaths caused by transportation – 90

Some exceptions are authorized when a worker sues the employer for damages caused. These are; individual third-party claims against someone who isn’t the employer, conducts or intentions by the employer that lead to accidents or death, products liability actions that can result to one suing the manufacturer of the said product and failure of having the workers compensation in one’s company.

When a worker is injured, injury law should be able to decide if one ought to get compensated or not. It also determines the amount one can be awarded and the liable partiers due to injuries. The injury law AKA tort law hails from state codes and judicial views. A judge or a jury can decide the amount that can be given for damages done or personal injuries according to the state. Private injury attorneys can step in when injured people seek compensation from their employers or companies. Some lawyers focus on cases like car accidents, slip-and-fall accidents, product liability lawsuits, or truck accidents among others. These personal injury attorney Tampa are also available for situations like personal injuries caused by criminal conduct.

There are four factors that one need to consider when hiring an injury attorney. These are;

1. Cost- for personal injury cases like car accidents, medical malpractice, many attorneys work on a contingency-fee basis. This enables hiring an attorney to be cheaper, due to fewer upfront costs, one can share a percentage of their settlement or verdict with the attorneys if they win one’s case.

  1. Experience- one should hire an attorney who is familiar with one’s case type.
  2. Track record of success- when injured, one ought to find the best personal injury attorney Tampa.
  3. Trial rate- finding an attorney who is not lazy to go on the trail is the best option for a person who needs workers compensation due to injury.

    All in all, one should be able to find the best of the best attorneys when suing an individual or a company due to personal injury or any damage.

Hunter Law Group Explains What To Do After A Fall

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A workplace accident can occur anywhere. It’s important to know how to handle the situation before it happens.

Workplace injuries or personal injuries are sometimes unavoidable. It is estimated that there are 4000 fatalities in the workplace, and this occurs in jobs that are classified as “high risk” or dangerous. One of the most common types of accidents are falls, which can have debilitating effects on the worker and the people they support. According to Hunter Law Group, a well-known legal company in Tampa, Florida, there are many common reasons why people suffer from workplace accidents:

  • There is human error on the part of the worker. Although there are safety guidelines implemented, stress and lack of guidance may cause a worker to fail to follow these instructions. In this case, an accident may occur.
  • Unsafe working conditions may be present. Some types of jobs are higher-risk for accidents and deaths than others. One in five workplace accidents happen in the construction industry, which is considered a dangerous workplace.
  • There are not enough safety guidelines implemented by the company. Some companies fail to establish certain safety guidelines, conditions, and procedures when in fact this must be the first thing they should do before operations.

Did you suffer from a fall in the workplace? Hunter Law Group suggests following these step-by-step instructions to guide you in your actions and be well-compensated for your accident.

What To Do After A Fall

 

  1. Contact police and emergency services

In the event of an accident, it is important to call the police or dial 911 right away. This is essential if you had serious injuries. If this is not possible, ask someone to call the police for you. The dispatcher will call the nearest emergency services to assist you in the accident and bring you to the nearest hospital when needed. If you sustained non-serious injuries, you can call the police hotline so that they can go to the scene of the accident and record their findings. The police report will help you strengthen your case towards filing a workplace injury compensation.

Once police approach your workplace, they will start to take note of the incident. They might issue traffic tickets to you or any involved parties if it’s a car accident. They can record statements, take pictures, and further file a police report about the accident. The police report can affect your lawsuit and insurance claims by strengthening the case of the incident, especially if you’re not at fault.

  1. Ask information about the incident

Another useful thing to do after your fall is to ask other people about the incident. This is helpful if you have witnesses to your accident. Get information from them about what happened, as this may help you fix the puzzle pieces together to further strengthen your case. If they are willing to be witnesses to the accident, get their contact details as well. Sometimes, witnesses can be helpful as some people appear to be disoriented or may have problems in their memory during the accident.

You can also collect information by yourself by taking the picture of the scene using your smartphone or camera. Note the time, date, and any other workplace conditions that you think influenced the accident. Also, add additional information that you think may be useful when you file a lawsuit for your fall.

  1. Find the right medical treatment right away

After your fall, you may or may not need emergency services. It is important to give out your insurance information as soon as possible as to prevent out-of-pocket expenses. You may also need to request copies of your medical results, treatment receipts, scans, and all other documents provided to you by the clinic or hospital. If this is not possible, you can request the administration to send these documents directly to your insurance company. Also, ask for patient copies of your receipts as this will help you file a personal injury lawsuit.

Do not wait before seeking medical treatments. Some falls may not look serious, but they might actually present symptoms like internal hemorrhaging. If you think that you need medical treatment for what appears to be a minor injury, seek help right away. This might save your life, and it will also help the insurance company cover your claim. Some insurance companies deny claims of patients who waited too long after the accident.

  1. Seek the help of a personal injury attorney

Once the insurance claim is settled, you will be able to be in touch with the claims adjuster who might be looking into your medical and police records of the accident. During this time, they may ask you and the other parties involved in the claim for their respective statements. It is advisable not to give a recorded statement to the insurance company before your lawsuit, as this might affect your claim. Hunter Law Group advises looking for an experienced personal injury attorney in your area. If you live in the Tampa, Florida area, you can find services by searching personal injury attorney Tampa.

Nobody expects to be involved in an accident. When you have suffered from personal injuries, make sure to follow these steps and you will have a high chance of succeeding in your insurance claim and lawsuit.