attorney who handles personal injury claims against employers

by Marta Quitzon 8 min read

If you've been injured at work and want to sue your employer outside of the workers' comp system, you'll need an experienced lawyer on your side. A workers' comp or personal injury lawyer (many law firms can handle both sorts of claims) will be able to advise you on whether your claim is likely to succeed outside of the workers' comp system.

Full Answer

What kinds of workplace claims can be handled by a lawyer?

More claims that are commonly handled by workplace attorneys include: Harassment and hostile work environment claims. If questions arise regarding any type of claim related to employment, a skilled workplace attorney will be able to assist.

Why should I hire a personal injury lawyer for my claim?

That’s because: Your lawyer can help you make sure you get the full spectrum of damages you’re entitled to. Lawyers are experts in negotiation and can maximize your recovery. The insurers and defendants may take your claim more seriously once you’re represented by an attorney.

Who is the best personal injury lawyer in Los Angeles?

Dmitriy Cherepinskiy Law Firm PC is a Los Angeles personal injury lawyer who has extensive experience inside courtrooms throughout California.

What kinds of cases does a personal injury lawyer handle?

Its practice areas include personal injury cases, such as car, motorcycle, and truck accidents, dangerous property conditions, and slips and falls. It also deals with brain injuries, dog bites, spinal cord injuries, and wrongful deaths.

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Civil Suit Timelines

To file a civil suit against your employer, the circumstances have to be specific. You can file a lawsuit if one of the following situations has occurred:

Proving Your Case

Be prepared to prove to a judge that your employer intentionally hurt you or your workers’ compensation was not sufficient. To establish your claim, you must prove you sustained an illness or injury at work through legal evidence and that your employer did something wrong to cause this injury.

Who represents insurance companies in small claims court?

The insurance company you are making the claim against will have attorneys representing and fighting for them. Lawyers are professionals who spend years and countless hours studying the particulars of the law and gathering knowledge to represent their clients to the best of their abilities. If the insurance company or the party you are taking to Small Claims Court has legal representation, it may be something for you to consider as well.

Why do people hesitate to hire a lawyer?

Affording a Lawyer: Contingency Fee Agreements. Another primary reason people may be reluctant to hire a lawyer is out of fear of paying legal fees. But almost all personal injury lawyers work on something called a contingency basis.

Why do you need a lawyer?

That's because: Your lawyer can help you make sure you get the full spectrum of damages you're entitled to. Lawyers are experts in negotiation and can maximize your recovery. The insurers and defendants may take your claim more seriously once you're represented by an attorney.

Why don't people hire lawyers?

One reason many people cite for not hiring a lawyer of their own is that they have insurance, or that the other party has insurance. You may believe that insurance companies are there to look out for you. But in many cases, the insurance company's interests are directly at odds with yours:

What information can be found in Alllaw?

If you come across obstacles along the way, a lot of information can be found in AllLaw's Personal Injury and Car Accident sections. Make sure you learn about the most important issues, including fault and legal liability, state laws that affect your case, and compensation available for different types of damages.

What is personal injury?

Personal injury claims cover a wide variety of situations and different types of accidents. You may have been injured in a car accident, by slipping and falling on someone's property, or bitten by a neighbor's dog. All these things are considered personal injury and the level of your injury can make big a difference in processing your claim.

Can you sue someone in a no fault state?

You Live in a No-Fault State. The no-fault rules do not allow you to sue unless your injuries rise to a certain level (determined either by the nature of the injuries or the cost of treating them, depending on where you live). Since you are limited to recovering damages from your own personal injury protection coverage in a no-fault claim, ...

How much does an employment lawyer cost?

Your employment lawyer has a few options when it comes to charging you. You may pay an hourly rate, which will likely be between $150 and $500, although this may be cheaper if you work with an independent lawyer not affiliated with a large law firm.

What is discrimination lawsuit?

Discrimination lawsuits are typically based on an established pattern of behavior in the workplace. Employment attorneys who handle these claims generally advise clients to gather evidence and document all instances of discrimination, harassment, or abuse, as they occur.

What is the most complex and time consuming lawsuit?

Employment-related claims are among the most complex and time-consuming lawsuits heard in the civil court system. Before workers can file a lawsuit, they must file a claim with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Every year, the EEOC recovers $505 million for victims of workplace discrimination.

What does General Counsel PC do?

General Counsel PC represents clients in employment law matters from its McLean office. The firm works with private and public sector companies on cases involving FMLA, wage laws, discrimination, harassment, and workplace safety. It advises business clients on how to maintain compliance with state and federal employment laws. Handbook and policy drafting is another proactive service offered by the firm to protect the legal interests of businesses. Defense for employment-related claims helps business clients minimize legal and financial effects.

How to file a wrongful termination claim?

You can file a wrongful termination claim with the EEOC online, via mail, or in person at various EEOC branch offices. You may be able to file a complaint with a state agency. To determine an appropriate plan of action and which organizations you can file with, speak to an employment lawyer.

What is Berenzweig Leonard?

metro. The firm takes a proactive approach to labor issues, assisting business clients with drafting contracts, employment negotiations, and resolving disputes. Its attorneys assist companies with HR training, implementing policies and drafting handbooks that minimize liability to issues involving harassment, discrimination, and retaliation. Additionally, the firm defends against accusations of wrongful termination, failure to accommodate for disabilities, and FMLA violations.

What is Berliklaw?

Reston-based BerlikLaw is a legal firm that accepts cases on employment-related matters. It represents employees who experience harassment, discrimination, and other illegal actions at work. The legal team assists clients in stopping those behaviors, and it files lawsuits when necessary to fight for compensation for financial, emotional, ...

What does a labor attorney represent?

In addition to our successful track record of representing victims of labor and employment claims, our labor attorneys also represent employees before administrative agencies such as the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), Department of Labor (DOL), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

Who is responsible for putting a stop to harmful gossiping among employees?

Employers are responsible for putting a stop to harmful gossiping among employees if it is a regular and known occurrence in the workplace. Defamation of character in the workplace may include instances such as:

What are the forms of unfair labor practices?

Unfair and discriminatory labor practices against employees can take many forms, including wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, refusal to give a reasonable accommodation, denial of leave, employer retaliation, and wage and hour violations.

What is workplace harassment?

When workers are subjected to slurs, assaults, threats, ridicule, offensive jokes, unwelcome sexual advances, or verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature, it can be considered workplace harassment. Similar to workplace discrimination, workplace harassment creates a hostile and abusive work environment.

What is it called when an employee is let go?

Sometimes employees are let go for reasons that are unfair or illegal. This is termed wrongful termination, wrongful discharge, or wrongful dismissal.

What does it mean when an employee is forced to tolerate sexual harassment?

For example, an employee may be forced to tolerate sexual harassment from a manager as a condition of their continued employment.

Is it illegal to discriminate against a job applicant?

It is illegal to discriminate against a job applicant or employee on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or age. However, some employers do just that, leading to a hostile and inequitable workplace where some workers are treated more favorably than others.

What are the types of claims that workplace attorneys handle?

Workplace attorneys handle a variety of different types of claims. Cases of sexual harassment, age/race discrimination, and wrongful termination are common issues in employment law. More claims that are commonly handled by workplace attorneys include:

What are the types of claims handled by workplace attorneys?

More claims that are commonly handled by workplace attorneys include: Harassment and hostile work environment claims . If questions arise regarding any type of claim related to employment, a skilled workplace attorney will be able to assist.

What to do if the EEOC is unable to help?

But if the EEOC is unable to help your situation, then you should speak with a local workplace lawyer. Be sure to have your Notice of Right to Sue and all relevant documentation. It’s important to take these first steps so your lawyer will be able to help you right away. Once you take the first steps, your lawyer will see you through to the end.

What is a workplace lawyer?

Also known as an employment lawyer, a workplace attorney represents anyone who is dealing with legal disputes, violations, or claims that are related to employment laws.

Why are employment lawyers important?

Specializing in workplace laws, employment lawyers are an important factor in shaping the treatment of workers, and fairness in employment policy . Additionally, workplace lawyers help resolve disputes between employees and the employer, or disputes between co-workers. Employment attorneys help protect the rights of workers, ...

Why do we need an employment attorney?

Employment attorneys help protect the rights of workers, and they also protect employers from frivolous lawsuits. States vary in their employment laws, and how those laws apply in the regulation of employment practices. For this reason, amongst others, consulting a workplace attorney can be quite beneficial in protecting your rights and interests, ...

What is an experienced lawyer?

An experienced lawyer will be able to walk you through the process, and help build your case for a potential lawsuit. Statutes of limitations exist on employment claims, so be sure to confirm date deadlines with your lawyer.

What is the job of an insurance adjuster?

The insurance adjuster, then, generally has the job of getting the claimant to accept the lowest settlement offer possible, without filing a lawsuit.

What are the factors that affect a personal injury claim?

In personal injury cases, insurance adjusters usually consider the same factors that juries would look at in deciding what the claim is worth. These factors include: 1 actual expenses (i.e. medical bills) incurred, and those that will be incurred in the future 2 lost income or lost ability to make a living 3 "pain and suffering", and 4 other negative effects of the claimant's injuries.

What happens if an insurance adjuster doesn't settle a case?

If a case does not settle outside of court, and the lawsuit makes it all the way to trial, the judge or jury will make a decision on who is at fault ("liable"), whether compensation (" damages ") is appropriate, and if so, how much. This is risky territory for an insurance company, as a damages award can end up being very high if the jury is sympathetic to the plaintiff. Legal fees and other costs associated with a trial can also add up quickly—expenses that don't help the insurance company's bottom line.

What happens if a plaintiff's case is weak?

If a plaintiff's case is fairly weak, then the insurer is likely to offer much less, since the claimant is likely to go to court and get nothing. Learn more about how the insurance adjuster determines a settlement offer.

What is an adjuster in insurance?

When an insurance policy covers an incident, and a claim is filed, an "adjuster" (an employee of the insurance company) is assigned to investigate what happened and to figure out how much the claim is worth. It's important to remember that the adjuster works for the insurance company, not for you. The adjuster's focus is always on keeping any ...

Why is an insurer more likely to offer a settlement?

If the plaintiff has a really solid case (like a medical malpractice claim where a doctor left a surgical instrument inside the plaintiff) then the insurer is more likely to offer a larger settlement, because a plaintiff's victory in court will be almost certain. If a plaintiff's case is fairly weak , then the insurer is likely to offer much less, since the claimant is likely to go to court and get nothing.

Why is a medical malpractice case more likely to be settled?

If the plaintiff has a really solid case (like a medical malpractice claim where a doctor left a surgical instrument inside the plaintiff) then the insurer is more likely to offer a larger settlement, because a plaintiff's victory in court will be almost certain.

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