
Fighting Back: Workers’ Compensation Lawsuits in Camden County Construction Industries
Being injured on the job is tough. For many Camden County construction workers, the injury is just the beginning of their challenges.
A serious injury may prevent you from working. You may struggle with things that used to be easy, like getting dressed or taking care of your house. Without your income, your family may struggle as well. You may worry you’ll never get back to work – or that you won’t have a job to go back to.
Workers’ compensation helps injured New Jersey workers. However, many employers and insurance companies fight to avoid paying necessary benefits. If you’re dealing with a workers’ comp claim or denial, it’s time to fight back. Talk to an experienced Camden County construction injury lawyer to learn more.
Top Injuries on Camden County Construction Sites
The Philadelphia, Camden County, and Wilmington metropolitan area ranks 8th among the US’s ten largest metro areas for workplace injuries, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Common causes of injuries in construction sites and other workplaces include:
- Transportation incidents. Vehicle accidents, including accidents involving forklifts, backhoes, and other construction vehicles, cause hundreds of deaths and serious injuries at construction sites every year.
- Trips, slips, and falls. Tripping on construction materials or debris, slipping on spilled oil and other substances, and falling – especially falls from a height – cause serious and fatal injuries at New Jersey workplaces each year.
- Contact with objects and equipment. From getting caught in equipment to being struck by a load of materials, contact with dangerous objects and equipment can and does cause severe injuries to Camden County construction workers.
- Exposure to harmful substances or environments. Extreme heat or cold, dangerous airborne particles or vapors, harsh chemicals, live electrical currents, and other harmful substances and environments can also cause serious injury or occupational illness to construction workers.
Other causes of workplace injury also exist. “Violence and other injuries by persons or animals,” for example, causes hundreds of on-the-job deaths and injuries nationwide each year, according to the BLS.
The total number of workplace injuries in New Jersey has dropped steadily since 2000, according to the New Jersey Department of Health. However, the DOH notes that New Jersey employers don’t always record all workplace injuries. These records are less likely to exist when an employer claims a worker wasn’t injured on the job or doesn’t report a claim to their workers’ compensation insurer.
Workers’ Compensation Claims in Camden County
Workers’ compensation insurance covers medical treatment, some lost wages, and the cost of permanent disabilities for Camden County employees who are injured on the job.
Workers’ comp benefits are “no-fault” benefits. An Injured worker can receive benefits no matter who caused their injury. In exchange, the worker gives up the opportunity to sue their employer for compensation. A worker injured by someone who isn’t their employer, however, can still bring a claim against that party.
If you are injured at work:
- Notify your employer as soon as possible. Tell your supervisor, personnel office, or anyone in charge at your construction site. You don’t have to notify this person in writing.
- Request medical treatment as soon as possible. New Jersey worker’s comp law allows the employer or their workers’ comp insurer to choose which doctor you see. If you need immediate medical care, call or have someone call 911. Otherwise, tell your employer you need medical treatment and ask them for a list of approved doctors.
- Save all your paperwork. When you report an injury, your employer must file a report with the state. Save any paperwork your employer gives you related to your claim. Also, save paperwork from doctor’s appointments.
Once your employer hears about your injury, they must file a “First Report of Injury” with the New Jersey workers’ compensation board. They will also tell their workers’ compensation insurer. If the insurer accepts the claim, they’ll pay for medical care. The insurer will also pay temporary disability benefits if the injury keeps the worker off work for more than seven days.
Problems arise when the insurer refuses to accept the claim or refuses to pay benefits. When an insurer refuses to cover your injuries, you need and deserve help to fight back. Your lawyer can:
- Deal with the insurance company so you can focus on healing,
- Gather evidence and build a case for compensation,
- Hold any third parties accountable for their actions, and
- Fight for you at every step.
Dealing with worker’s compensation insurance is tough even for healthy people. When you’re struggling to recover from a serious injury, it can feel impossible. Reach out to the team at Petrillo & Goldberg today for help with your Camden County construction injury case.