Worker’s Compensation and the Laws behind It by Rainier Policarpio

Without a doubt, even after all the necessary safety measures have been deployed by the employers, there will always be possibilities of accidents still happening in a workplace. Despite of the strict discipline performed by all employees, they are still prone in obtaining injuries while exercising their works. Well, all we can do is to hope that these tragic incidents will not happen to us or even to our loved ones. However, as a form of consolation, workers like us were entitled of benefits to cover our incurred injuries as stated under various federal and state laws.
The Worker’s Compensation laws are drafted and ratified in order for the injured or disabled employees to have the assurance of having continuous financial benefits without undergoing any court procedures. This also bestows grants to the surviving dependents and beneficiaries of the employees who died due to any type of job-related accident or ailment. Moreover, some provisions of the laws provide protections to the employers by restraining the injured workers to recover large amount of money higher than the set limits. The co-workers are also freed from any liability in most cases of accidents. While the Federal worker’s compensation statutes are restricted to federal employees or those individuals employed in some important positions of interstate trade and commerce, various laws are enacted to deal with certain type of jobs.

? Federal Employment Compensation Act

This law imparts financial benefits limited only to those non-military or federal employees who suffered disability or died while performing their tasks. Nevertheless, these should not result from deliberate actions or from alcohol or illegal substance intoxication. The law covers the cost of medical treatment and rehabilitation brought by the disability and may oblige the worker to go through a retraining program.

Generally, the disabled workers collect 2/3 of their regular monthly income until the impairment was fully healed. They may accept even larger compensation in cases of permanent injuries or if they happen to be the breadwinner of their families.

If the worker died, his or her surviving family or beneficiaries will get the benefit.

* Federal Employment Liability Act (FELA)

This act provides benefits to the railroad employees who were injured in an accident.

* Merchant Marine Act (Jones Act)

This act provides protection for the seamen from negligent employers.

* Black Lung Benefits Act

This law provision provides benefits for workers in the mining industry who suffered from black lung disease.

* California’s Worker’s Compensation Act

This statute serves as a model of a complete state worker’s compensation insurance program. The state of California obliged the employers to have insurance policies for their workers that will cover future compensation claims.

The laws on Worker’s Compensation are very much broad and intricate. Thus, for the injured or disabled employees to obtain their claims, they may need to appoint the legal services of a qualified and proficient personal injury lawyer. A legal advocate’s expertise in handling this specific type of claim case will make it easier for the victims to uphold their rights.

About the Author
For more information about worker’s compensation and other personal injury related cases, visit www.personalinjurydefenders.com.

Personal Injury: Are You Entitled To Compensation? by Rex Bush

If you have been injured in an accident you may be wondering if you are entitled to compensation for pain and suffering.
To make a claim for pain and suffering you need: 1) injuries (typically shown by medical bills and records or photographs [such as of a scar]) and, 2) someone else must be “at-fault”. You can’t sue yourself for pain and suffering, even if you accidentally drove off the road.

Fault must be based on a specific theory of “Torts”. Torts is the branch of law that defines wrongful (civil i.e. non-criminal) conduct.

Most personal injury cases are based on one of the following torts: “negligence,” “strict liability” or “intentional act” .

Negligence

Negligence is the most common legal theory on which valid injury claims are based. One reason, of course, is that insurance companies will pay for injuries caused by negligence. Whereas, most insurance policies will not cover intentional acts.

Negligence is made up of four elements: 1) duty; 2) breach of duty; 3) causation; 4) damages (injury).

The “duty” is to act with reasonable care. Duty can be established by statute.

For example, traffic laws require a driver to stop at red lights. Running a red light violates the law and therefore is considered to be a “breach of duty”.

Causation, under injury legal principles, means that the breach of duty caused your injuries. If you already had neck problems, and they were no worse after the accident, then the accident didn’t cause your injuries. However, if the accident “lit up” (i.e. activated) or aggravated your preexisting injuries then the at-fault person (or his insurance company) must compensate you for that.

Insurance companies hire lawyers known as “insurance defense attorneys”. These lawyers are very good at finding prior undisclosed injuries and other weaknesses in your case. They will expend numerous hours and great expense to locate past medical records of claimants.

These records are reviewed by medical doctors who make a lot of money working for insurance companies. Insurance doctors often offer an opinion that 1) the claimant is not injured; or 2) if he is injured, the injuries did not come from the accident.

Strict Liability

“Strict liability” shows up most often in product liability cases–dangerous products. (And, in some states, dog bite cases.)

Strict liability, under injury legal principles, means damages (monetary compensation) can be awarded without negligence (duty and breach of duty.)

Injury law says a manufacturer of a product can be liable if its product has defects in workmanship, parts or other problems which cause the product to be defective when it leaves the manufacturer’s hands.

If the product is defective, then all others in the distribution chain (wholesaler, retailer) are also liable.

Intentional Torts

Intentional torts include e.g. “battery.” Battery is an action which is intended to, and does, cause harmful or offensive contact to another.

Years ago I represented a young woman who was beat up in Provo, Utah. The girl who did the beating suspected my client of going after her boyfriend. (This was probably true, and in the Old West may have justified a beating.)

However, today, in the Modern West, it is against the law to beat up girls who steal your boyfriend. And this was a classic case of the tort of “battery.” The beater intended a harmful contact on my client, carried out that intent and my client had injuries and medical bills to show for it.

We sued and tried this claim in front of a Provo, Utah judge. He found in favor of my client and awarded money.

The problem with intentional torts is that most insurance policies carefully exclude them. So, although my client was awarded money by the court, she never saw a dime. The defendant had no money or other assets.

Conclusion

To recover money for pain and suffering you need to follow the law of Torts. There may be other requirements in the state where you live such as a personal injury threshold for car accidents.

Disclaimer

This article is intended for informational purposes only. For specific advice on your case ask an attorney where you live.

About the Author
Rex Bush is founder of Bush Law Firm near Salt Lake City, Utah where he handles personal injury cases in Utah and throughout the United States and Canada. For information on personal injury issues visit his website: Utah Injury Attorney