An on-the-job injury in Reno can upend your paycheck, household, and plans for the months ahead. The specific way you got hurt, and whether anyone besides your employer bears some responsibility, determines both the benefits you can claim and whether additional compensation is available. Our Reno work injury lawyers investigate how your accident happened, build a full record of your injuries, and pursue every available source of recovery for clients throughout Reno, Sparks, and the surrounding Washoe County communities. Shook & Stone has recovered more than $1 billion in compensation and benefits since 1997. Schedule a free case consultation.
How Work Injuries Happen in Reno
Few workplace injuries happen for no reason. Behind almost every one is a hazard that went unaddressed, a piece of equipment failed, or a step in a process got skipped. Nevada’s no-fault system means you do not have to prove any of that to collect workers’ compensation, but figuring out what actually happened is exactly what reveals whether a party outside your employer, a contractor, a manufacturer, another driver, also owes you something. Given Reno’s mix of construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and healthcare employers, we see these causes most often:
- Overexertion from lifting, pushing, or pulling in warehouse, logistics, and industrial jobs
- Machinery accidents involving factory, assembly line, or manufacturing equipment
- Repetitive motion and strain injuries in trade, office, medical, and factory work
- Struck-by accidents involving falling, rolling, or swinging objects, including unsecured loads and defective equipment
- Electrocution and electrical injuries among electricians, utility workers, and construction crews
- Chemical burns and exposure to hazardous substances in industrial and manufacturing plants
- Slip-and-fall accidents caused by wet floors, debris, or poorly lit walkways
- Motor vehicle accidents during work-related driving, deliveries, or travel between job sites
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Types of Work Injuries We Handle
The type of injury you suffer affects your treatment, your recovery time, and the value of your claim. Our team handles the full range of work injuries, and we maintain dedicated resources for the most common injuries we see in Reno.
- Workplace Lifting Injury: Improper lifting technique is a leading cause of back and muscle injuries in warehouse, logistics, and industrial jobs.
- Workplace Shoulder and Neck Injury: Strains and tears to the shoulder and neck often require surgery and extended recovery.
- Workplace Knee Injury: Knee injuries from falls and repetitive strain can affect your ability to stand and move.
- Workplace Burn Injury: Burns from heat, chemicals, or electrical current can cause lasting scarring and disfigurement.
- Workplace Hearing and Vision Loss: Loud manufacturing and industrial environments and eye hazards can cause permanent sensory loss.
- Hospital Workplace Injury: Healthcare workers face lifting injuries, needlesticks, and exposure risks.
When You Can Recover Beyond Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation pays out regardless of fault, which is also why it falls short in certain cases. It will not cover pain and suffering, emotional distress, or the portion of your lost income comp does not replace. When a party other than your employer contributed to your accident, a separate third-party claim can recover what workers’ comp leaves on the table.
Fault does matter for a third-party claim, which is where Nevada’s comparative negligence rule comes in. Being partly responsible for your own accident will not bar you from recovering, but it will reduce your award by your share of the blame, and a share of 51 percent or more blocks recovery entirely. None of this affects your workers’ compensation benefits, which remain available no matter who was at fault.
Examples of third-party claims we see in Reno include:
- A contractor providing services at your job site creates a hazard that causes your injury
- A property owner fails to warn you of a hazard at an off-site job or delivery location
- Defective machinery, tools, or equipment from an outside manufacturer causes your injury
- A negligent driver causes a collision while you are working, such as during a delivery or a trip between job sites
- A subcontractor on a construction or industrial site leaves tools or materials in an unsafe location
Damages available through a third-party claim can include:
- Full lost wages and lost future earning capacity
- Pain and suffering and emotional distress
- Disfigurement and scarring
- Reduced quality of life
- Property damage
Punitive damages are the exception rather than the rule in Nevada, reserved for cases where the responsible party’s conduct was intentional or genuinely reckless, not just careless.
Keep the calendar in mind, too: a third-party lawsuit runs on its own two-year clock starting from the date of the accident, separate from the 90 days you have to file a workers’ compensation claim.
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Work Injuries in Nevada
Work injuries are common across Nevada, including in Reno’s construction, manufacturing, warehousing, and healthcare industries.
In 2024, private employers in Nevada reported 33,800 nonfatal workplace injuries and illnesses statewide, with more than 21,700 serious enough to require time away from work, a job transfer, or work restrictions.
That same year, 33 workers died from job-related injuries statewide, and violent acts, not heavy machinery, were the single most common cause of workplace deaths in Nevada, followed by transportation incidents.
Wherever your injury falls on that spectrum, you have the right to pursue the benefits and compensation you are owed.
After a Work Injury
Report the injury to your employer as soon as it happens, get medical care, and hold onto every record connected to your claim. The forms, deadlines, and filing steps are covered in detail on our Reno workers’ compensation page, and if your claim is denied, our team steps in to handle the appeal. For Northern Nevada claims, hearings and appeals are handled through the Department of Administration’s Carson City office rather than the Las Vegas office used for southern Nevada claims. On the work injury side, our job is figuring out exactly how you got hurt and making sure every available source of compensation gets pursued.
A Reno Work Injury Affects More Than Your Body
The fallout from a work injury rarely stays contained to your body. It reaches your paycheck, your household, and your plans for what comes next. Our Reno work injury lawyers investigate the accident, take on the insurance company, and pursue the full compensation available to you. Reach out today for a free consultation.
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