When it comes to an injury that is the result of another person or party’s negligent actions, it’s important that you speak with a skilled personal injury attorney. By consulting with a competent attorney, you will be able to get the legal assistance that you need to pursue legal action in a timely fashion.
These matters can get a bit tricky when it comes to injuries sustained while you are on the job. There are multiple issues to consider where this is concerned. Outlined below are some of the matters related to personal injury litigation and workers’ compensation litigation.
About Personal Injury Lawsuits
Personal injury lawsuits refer to any sort of litigation carried out against a person or party that has caused a person to be injured to due negligent actions or negligent inaction. Many different cases fall under this broad category, including auto accidents, medical malpractice lawsuits, slip and fall accidents, and so on.
About Workers’ Compensation Lawsuits
Workers’ compensation lawsuits generally refer to instances in which a person has been denied workers’ comp coverage even though he or she may have a legitimate claim. Workers’ compensation is meant to cover medical bills, lost wages, and other expenses after a person has been the victim of an on-the-job injury. A workers’ compensation attorney will work to ensure that legitimate claims are properly covered.
How These Kinds of Cases Differ
In a personal injury case, the lawyer will often seek two kinds of damages against the responsible party:
- Compensatory damages – Compensatory damages are meant to cover actual losses sustained due to injury, such as medical bills, lost wages, damage to property, etc.
- Punitive damages – Punitive damages are meant to punish the responsible party so that such negligent actions are not repeated in the future.
In a workers’ compensation case, the damages are generally restricted to recouping the amount of workers’ compensation that the client was denied. Punitive damages may be sought as well to ensure that the company acts fairly in the future.
Do these two cases sometimes cross over?
Sometimes these cases do crossover. If the workplace injury was caused by poor safety conditions at the worksite, for instance, the company may be held liable for any injuries that befell their employees. If the employee suffers such an injury and then is denied workers’ compensation, then there may be grounds to pursue both a personal injury lawsuit and a workers’ compensation lawsuit.
Each case differs, of course. The injuries sustained, the cause of the injury, and other factors surrounding the injury will determine which sorts of legal claims you will want to pursue. The best way to get the process working for you is to meet with the legal team at our personal injury law firm. During your legal consultation, all options can be discussed in greater detail.
Learn More about Your Options in Legal Cases
If you would like to learn more about all of your options for legal help in workers’ compensation and serious injury accidents, be sure to contact our Gulfport, Mississippi personal injury attorneys today. The entire team here looks forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve justice in all kinds of legal cases.
