While not all jobs are equally dangerous in terms of the physical harm a work-related accident might cause, every job carries the potential for a workplace accident of one kind or another to occur. Unfortunately, even if you act responsibly and follow every applicable safety precaution, you may still not be able to avoid getting seriously hurt due to the reckless or careless actions of someone else working around you—or, in some cases, by the company employing you.
In either situation, you likely have access to workers’ compensation insurance coverage provided by your employer. However, making the most of that coverage can be much trickier in practice than many people expect. By working with a skilled workers’ comp attorney from Shook & Stone, you could more effectively demand the benefits you deserve after any of the common workplace accidents in Reno mentioned below.
Accidents Caused by Employee Misconduct
There is no shortage of ways in which one person’s negligence on a job site could lead to a coworker, contractor, or site visitor suffering a serious injury from a preventable accident. From slips and falls caused by unmarked spills to falling object impacts caused by a failure to secure merchandise properly on a high shelf, to more life-threatening scenarios like misuse or improper operation of heavy machinery, accidents caused solely by a single person’s irresponsible actions are common in workplaces of all kinds in Reno.
It is worth emphasizing, though, that workers’ compensation benefits are available on a fault-free basis in Nevada, so there is no need to prove anyone specifically at fault for causing an on-the-job accident in order to receive reimbursement for medical expenses, temporary or permanent disability payments, and more. The only exception to that rule is if the injured worker filing the claim in the first place was responsible for causing their injury through their own negligence—for example, showing up to work drunk or engaging in horseplay on the job.
Accidents Caused by Employer Negligence
Some of the most common workplace incidents in Reno stem partially or even primarily from misconduct by company management, or from third-party suppliers or contractors which an employer chose to involve in their business. Beyond just causing accidents like machinery malfunctions stemming from lack of maintenance to explosions caused by a lack of HAZMAT training, employers can also sometimes be responsible for making workplace accidents worse than they need to be by failing to provide appropriate protective equipment like hardhats and gloves.
Once again, fault-free workers’ comp benefits should be available in situations like this; but, the catch is that employers who provide workers’ comp coverage to their employees are immune from civil liability for work-related injuries. This means that even if a workplace accident stems entirely from an employer’s negligence, any worker injured through that accident cannot file a lawsuit directly against their employer for damages that workers’ comp does not cover.
Take Action After Common Workplace Accidents With a Reno Attorney’s Help
Ideally, no one would ever get seriously hurt on the job for any reason, and certainly not because of circumstances they cannot control. Unfortunately, workplace accidents are all too common all over Reno—and unless you have support from seasoned legal counsel, you may struggle to get all the benefits through workers’ compensation that you should be legally entitled to receive.
Guidance from a capable workers’ compensation lawyer can dramatically improve your chances of achieving the best possible result from your claim. Call today to schedule your free consultation with a member of the Shook & Stone team.
