Injury victims typically pursue one type of compensation after an accident, depending upon the circumstances at play:
- Workers’ compensation if the accident happened on the job
- Personal injury if the accident was caused by a negligent person or business
- Social Security Disability (SSD) if the effects are disabling, long-term and keep the injured person out of work
If you have suffered a serious injury, it is important to explore all of the types of compensation available to you. You want to make sure you are maximizing your financial recovery during this difficult time.
Work accidents caused by negligent third parties
When an on-the-job accident is caused by a negligent third party (that is, not the accident victim’s employer or a coworker), the injured worker can pursue both a workers’ comp claim and a personal injury claim. If you were injured in a car accident while at work, an accident caused by defective machinery or any other type of accident in which a third party was at fault, you may have a valid personal injury claim.
Personal injuries that result in long-term disability
If an injury is so severe, it leaves the accident victim out of work for at least 12 months, that person may be eligible to receive Social Security Disability benefits. While personal injury compensation is a one-time financial recovery, SSD benefits can last a lifetime.
When all three apply
In some situations, people may be eligible for all three of the above-mentioned sources of compensation. When this is the case, they can save themselves significant trouble by working with a law firm that handles all three of these practice areas. You never know how long you are going to have to deal with your injury and how much it will cost. This is why it is so important to leave no stone unturned in seeking the compensation you are entitled to.