Personal injury law allows victims of accidents caused by someone else’s recklessness to collect compensation for their losses. However, employees who suffer an injury or develop a medical condition due to their working conditions have to file a workers’ compensation claim, which has different criteria and benefits. Knowing the difference between personal injury suits and workers’ compensation claims will help minimize confusion if you’ve been in an accident.

Workers’ Compensation Claims

Almost every state requires employers to carry some type of workers’ compensation insurance to protect their employees. If a worker is injured on the job or develops a medical condition because of their working conditions, workers’ compensation provides necessary medical care and wage replacement benefits until they’re ready to return to work. Unlike a personal injury settlement, workers’ compensation pays your healthcare providers directly and doesn’t cover nonmonetary damages.

Workers’ compensation and personal injury law are also distinct because of how fault factors into a claim. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, so you may still file a claim even if no one was directly responsible for your injuries, or your own actions contributed to the accident.

Personal Injury Suits

Personal injury claims often involve auto accidents, unsafe premises, or any other situation in which someone was hurt because of another party’s negligence. Victims in personal injury cases may be entitled to compensation for their medical expenses, lost wages, and noneconomic damages like pain and suffering, trauma, and emotional distress.

Personal injury law is based on fault, so you must show that the liable party’s actions directly led to your injuries, whether they were caused by negligence or intentional malice. For instance, after an auto accident, your attorney may have to prove that the other driver was texting, speeding, or otherwise violating the rules of the road.

Whether you’ve been hurt in an auto accident or injured at work, The Law Office of Peter T. Waltz will provide the answers, guidance, and effective representation you need. Their team of attorneys has extensive experience in both personal injury law and workers’ compensation cases, which they use to help clients throughout La Crosse, WI, achieve justice. Visit their website for more on their personal injury law services, or call (608) 784-2050 to schedule a consultation.