Burns can be devastating injuries. When you suffer a burn at work, you must turn to the workers’ compensation program for medical treatment and a partial wage while you recover. If someone other than you, your employer, or a coworker contributed to the incident, you could sue them for the losses workers’ compensation does not cover.
It is always worth discussing burns from a work injury with a knowledgeable attorney to discover whether you have the right to sue and collect damages. The lawyers at Shook & Stone can review the circumstances surrounding your injury and discuss your legal options. Consultations are free, so you have nothing to lose by making an appointment to meet with one of our experienced legal professionals.
Anyone Could Suffer Burns at Work
Some professionals are more likely to suffer burns at work than others. Firefighters, kitchen workers, welders, mechanics, and electricians are among those likely to experience burn injuries while performing their regular duties.
Even people who don’t usually work around open flames or live wires could suffer a burn in a work accident. Some examples include:
- Workplace fires and explosions can cause burns
- Landscapers might suffer burns from igniting gasoline
- Malfunctioning machinery can overheat and cause burns
- Overheating boilers could cause the water in restroom taps to be too hot
- Truckers and railroaders hauling volatile substances risk explosions and burns
- Trips or other accidents in the employee cafeteria could cause burns from hot foods or beverages
- Anyone who works outside could be struck by lightning or come into contact with a downed power line
Regardless of whether a burn is related to your job duties, if you were on the clock when the incident occurred, it is a work-related injury.
The lawyers at Shook & Stone represent workers from every industry and walk of life. If you suffered a burn injury while working, they can explain your rights and discuss the next steps.
Understanding Your Rights Under Workers’ Compensation
Most employers obey the law and provide workers’ compensation coverage. When you get a burn or suffer any other injury at work, you are entitled to free medical care until you are cured and a partial wage until you can return to work. However, you cannot sue your employer for a work-related injury, even if the employer didn’t provide a safe work environment and was 100 percent responsible for your injuries.
Workers’ compensation provides free medical treatment until your injuries reach the point where further treatment will not improve your condition. While you are recovering and unable to work, the program pays two-thirds of your average weekly wage.
Workers’ compensation benefits start immediately, ensuring you get the healthcare you need and enough money to prevent significant hardship. However, the program doesn’t cover all your lost wages or give you anything for the pain and suffering you experienced. You must bring a lawsuit to get paid for the losses the workers’ compensation program does not cover.
Suing for Damages After a Work Injury
When an employer breaks the law and doesn’t provide workers’ compensation benefits, you can sue them for your injury-related losses, including:
- Lost wages
- Pain and suffering
- Your medical costs
- The value of any benefits you used while recovering, like sick days
If your employer provides workers’ compensation, you could sue a third party that contributed to your injury for the expenses and lost wages that workers’ compensation doesn’t cover.
Our proactive lawyers at Shook & Stone are skilled at investigating workplace accidents and discovering third parties—such as independent contractors, product manufacturers, landlords, and others—who bear at least partial responsibility. You could sue a third party for your incidental expenses and the wages workers’ compensation did not pay, plus seek compensation for your diminished quality of life due to pain, disability, disfigurement, and emotional trauma.
Nevada Revised Statute § 14.141 allows an injured person to collect reduced damages even if they were partially at fault for the event that caused the injury. So, if you were 20 percent at fault in a workplace accident, you could collect 80 percent of your damages from other responsible parties. You must absorb the 20 percent that reflects your liability for the incident.
Talk to a Las Vegas Attorney About Your Work-Related Burn
Burns can have long-term physical and psychological consequences. If your injuries are severe, your life might be disrupted for months or even longer.
You’ll need to rely on your workers’ compensation benefits while out of work. Still, if someone other than your employer was responsible for the accident, you could sue for additional compensation. Call our dedicated team of attorneys at Shook & Stone today to arrange a free consultation to discuss your legal options.
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