Workers’ compensation law is important because it provides injured victims with financial relief while recovering from a workplace accident. However, it also protects companies and their employees from being sued by injured workers for unintentional accidents and injuries. It does not, however, protect other individuals and entities outside of the company. If the workplace accident was caused by something or someone outside of the company’s control, an injured victim can sometimes file a lawsuit for damages against the external at-fault party. Third parties can be another person, another company’s employee, a manufacturer, and much more.

These claims are called third party claims, and can vary drastically from case to case. Continue reading to learn more about filing a third party claim in addition to a workplace injury claim, and how to ensure you are receiving the full and fair amount of compensation you deserve.

One Accident – Multiple Claims

There are several scenarios that would allow an accident victim to seek third party benefits in addition to their workers’ compensation claim. For example:

🚑 If an employee is traveling from one job site to another, and is involved in a car accident because an intoxicated driver ran a stop sign, the employee could potentially receive workers’ compensation benefits, as well as, file another claim for damages against the intoxicated driver.

🐕 If an employee is attending a mandatory company picnic at a local park, and is bitten by a dog who was not on a leash, they could possibly file a 3rd party claim against the owner of the dog who bit them, as well as, receive workers’ compensation benefits since they were injured during a mandatory company event.

🏭 If an employee is injured at work by a piece of machinery because of defective or poorly designed parts, and the machine is less than ten years old, they may be able to file a third party claim against the manufacturer of the defective machine, as well as, still receive their workers’ compensation benefits.

What You Need to Know

There are numerous limitations to filing third party claims in addition to workers’ compensation benefits, and these limitations vary greatly among jurisdictions. The Workers’ Compensation Board of Indiana handles all the workers’ compensation claims in the state, but it is important to know that third party claims are dealt with separately, in civil court. The company of an injured worker does not handle any proceedings for filing a 3rd party claim. For these claims, injured employees would need to hire an experienced personal injury lawyer in order to file a lawsuit for damages against a 3rd party.

Workers’ Compensation Legal Assistance

For injured employees who feel like they are not receiving the full or fair amount of benefits they should for their accident, it is effective to hire an Indianapolis workers’ compensation attorney for legal assistance. They use their skills, knowledge, and resources to fight for injured employees’ rights to appropriate benefits and compensation following a serious workplace injury.

Call Craven, Hoover, and Blazek P.C. at 317-881-2700 for help with workers’ compensation claims in Indianapolis, Indiana. Here at our law firm, we are eager to help injured victims recover the full and fair compensation they deserve. We offer free initial consultations and never collect lawyer fees unless we win your settlement. Call 317-881-2700 to schedule a free consultation with a licensed Indianapolis workers’ compensation attorney, today.