Personal Injury Lawsuit v. Workers’ Compensation – in Georgia
Physical injuries affect victims in much the same way regardless of how the victim has sustained injuries. Whether a person suffers a traumatic brain injury (TBI) from a car accident as opposed to a workplace accident does not matter in terms of how the physical injury affects the victim. An injury carries the same pain and suffering regardless of how an accident happens.
Tifton workers’ compensation lawyers routinely handle both personal injury matters and workers’ compensation claims. In some cases, there is a crossover of both personal injury claims and workers’ compensation claims involving the same workplace accident.
While personal injury law deals with negligence and fault, workers’ compensation is a no-fault system that only focuses on compensating workers to help them recover and get back to work.
What Are the Differences?
Individuals injured in Tifton accidents, such as motor vehicle accidents or slip and fall accidents, among others, can seek compensation for their injuries by filing a personal injury lawsuit against the party at fault for causing the accident. In Georgia, the injured victim has two years from the date of the injury (which is the date of the accident) to file a personal injury lawsuit.
Workers who sustain injuries from a workplace accident have one year from the date of the accident to file a workers’ compensation claim. If the accident happened in the course of one’s job duties, he or she would be entitled to benefits in the form of wages and medical expenses.
Injured in the Workplace? Our Tifton Workers’ Compensation Lawyer Discusses Your Next Steps
Because workplace injuries can happen at any time and for any reason – regardless of whether another person is at fault for causing the workplace accident – speaking with a Tifton workers’ compensation lawyer is crucial to protecting a worker’s rights.
Although an injured worker can seek compensation and other benefits by filing a claim under the state’s workers’ compensation program, doing so may prevent the injured person from recovering compensation by filing a personal injury lawsuit in the event a person’s negligence caused the workplace accident.
After sustaining injuries in a workplace accident, the first step you take after receiving necessary medical treatment is to call a Tifton workers’ compensation lawyer. In doing so, you will have a better understanding of (1) whether you have a potential personal injury claim, (2) whether you are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits, and (3) whether you should choose one avenue of recovery.
In some cases, an injured worker may be eligible for both workers’ compensation benefits and any compensation recovered through a personal injury lawsuit pertaining to the same workplace accident. However, this is not the result in every case. As such, discuss your options by speaking with a Tifton workers’ compensation lawyer today.
Contact Hudson Injury Firm Today to Speak with a Tifton Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
If you have suffered workplace injuries, you may find the advice you need by speaking with a Tifton workers’ compensation lawyer. Although many injured workers file claims without the help of a lawyer, doing so runs the risk that an injured worker does not receive adequate benefits or compensation.
To protect your legal rights to pursue a personal injury lawsuit or file a workers’ compensation claim, act quickly to speak with a Tifton workers’ compensation lawyer. At Hudson Injury Firm, our team of lawyers is standing by to provide you with a free case evaluation. Contact our office today by calling (229) 396-5845 or submitting your information through our website’s contact us page.