Compensation Available After a Workplace Injury In Atlanta

Georgia’s residents are active, productive workers in industries ranging from healthcare and food services to manufacturing, shipping, and agriculture. When a Georgia employee suffers an on-the-job injury in Atlanta, they may face immediate financial hardship as well as physical pain and temporary or permanent disability. Fortunately, Georgia has robust protections in place for workplace injury victims, especially when additional options are open through a third-party injury claim.

What Causes Workplace Injuries In Atlanta?

A workplace injury is any job-related injury, illness, or accident that occurs in the workplace or away from the worksite while an employee is carrying out job-related activities. While some jobs have greater inherent risks, workplace injuries in Atlanta happen in a variety of settings.

Common types of workplace accidents resulting in significant physical and economic losses include the following:

• Slip and fall accidents
• Transportation and auto accidents
• Falls from heights
• Lifting and exertion injuries
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Heavy or sharp equipment injuries
• Struck-by injuries, such as falling objects or collisions
• Caught-between injuries
• Fires and explosions
• Electrocutions
• Toxic exposures
• Defective products

Workplace injuries happen every day; for example, an office worker might slip and fall on a freshly waxed lobby floor in an office building. However, severe injuries are more common in industries that involve heavy labor, such as construction, manufacturing, agriculture, transportation, and warehousing.

When an on-the-job accident causes injury, an Atlanta employee should first seek immediate medical attention. Then, follow the doctor’s recommendations closely and reach out to a personal injury attorney with experience in Atlanta workplace injury claims.

What Options for Compensation Might Be Available After a Workplace Injury In Atlanta?

Hiring a workplace injury lawyer is advantageous to an injured Georgia employee. An experienced attorney specialized in Atlanta personal injury law can assess all aspects of your case to determine if additional compensation might be available to you. For example, a personal injury lawsuit allows injury victims to recover compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering and catastrophic injury compensation, which isn’t available through traditional workplace injury claims. 

An employee cannot file a personal injury claim against an employer, since the employer’s workers’ compensation insurance prohibits lawsuits except in cases of egregious wrongdoing. However, if the on-the-job injury was caused by a third party, such as a contractor, subcontractor, vendor, or a negligent driver during work-related travel or transportation, you can file a personal injury lawsuit against the third party. If the injury is caused by a defective product or equipment, a legal claim for product liability can bring compensation for injury-related losses.

What Compensation Can I Expect after an Atlanta Workplace Injury?

A sudden serious injury in the workplace can feel like the rug has been pulled out from under your life, leaving you uncertain where to turn or how to pay your bills and support your family. An experienced attorney will seek all available avenues for your compensation after a workplace injury in Atlanta. A successful claim could recover damages such as the following:

• Reimbursement for your emergency medical expenses and for any follow-up care you’ve received
• An amount for anticipated future medical expenses related to the injury, such as for rehabilitative therapy or scheduled surgeries
• Lost earnings
• Future income loss
• Out-of-pocket costs
• Compensation for pain and suffering
• Compensation for catastrophic damages if they apply; for instance, in cases of amputations, permanent scarring or disfigurement, the loss of an organ or one of the senses, or for disability and chronic pain (loss of enjoyment of life or diminished quality of life)

If a workplace injury causes a fatality, a wrongful death lawsuit against a third party can recover compensation and bring a sense of justice to the closest surviving family member of the deceased worker.

Contact Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC for Representation After an Atlanta Workplace Injury

Most workplace injury claims are made against insurance companies that often prioritize their profits over fairly paying out on claims. A significant number of Atlanta workplace injury claims are initially denied by the insurance adjuster assigned to the case. Representation by a Georgia workplace injury attorney maximizes your chances of receiving the full amount of compensation available to you. Call Piasta Walker Hagenbush, LLC, today for a free confidential consultation.