Third Party Claims – When Work Accidents are Caused by the Negligence of Others

If you have suffered an injury while working, you may also have a third party claim against the negligent person or entity that caused your injury, depending on the circumstances.

For example, an ambulance driver is responding to an emergency in an ambulance, and is struck by another vehicle. The ambulance driver has a workers’ compensation claim, and also has a third party claim against the at-fault driver.

What can be tricky with third party claims is the recovery aspect. When the workers’ compensation carrier pays for the claimant’s medical treatment, lost time from work, and permanency award, the carrier keeps track of every dollar it expends. Then, if the claimant recovers in a negligence action against the at-fault party, the claimant must pay back the workers’ compensation carrier for all of the money it paid.

This can be quite a balancing act for Plaintiff’s attorneys, especially if the claimant missed a substantial amount of time from work, suffered severe injuries, etc. Furthermore, depending on the amount of liability coverage available, the potential recovery can begin to shrink rather quickly if the claimant has substantial medical bills and lost wages.

Contact personal injury attorney Jaclyne Kartley today for a free consultation at 301-740-3313.

Call or email me with your questions:

Jaclyne Kartley
jkartley@bsgfdlaw.com