What To Do If You’ve Been Injured Due To Unsafe Working Conditions in Colorado Springs
It’s no secret that some employers try to save time and money by bending the rules. Very often, their employees go along with it rather than go through the trouble of reporting it or making a fuss. However, once an accident has occurred, sometimes an employee feels that they should take actions besides filing a claim for workers’ compensation. At Heuser & Heuser, a Colorado Springs workers’ compensation attorney is available to help you figure out just what those actions might be.
Become Familiar with OSHA
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency that creates safety standards for employers to follow and attempts to protect workers from dangerous work environments. They will also inspect workplaces and defend workers from retaliation for reporting violations. This is mostly important to know before you’re injured, but communicating with them may help your case and fix the problem that caused your injury so that you can return to a safe environment. Inspection results can be used in court, and this may give you a significant advantage during your lawsuit. In the event that you are punished for reporting your injury or suspected violations, they have the ability to reinstate employment and paygrade as well as compensate for lost wages.
Find Out How Your State Works
One of the benefits of contacting a lawyer about your injury is that a true professional Colorado Springs workers’ comp attorney will understand the nuances of workers’ compensation claims according to state law. Not every state handles lawsuits the same way, and you may be able to present a case in one state but not another. Because workers’ comp was created in part to help avoid lawsuits, some states will not offer exceptions, although you may be able to go through the workers’ compensation system to increase your benefits based on the conduct of your employer.
Ask a professional at Heuser & Heuser about exceptions for egregious misconduct in your state to find out if you can present a case for more benefits.
Prepare Yourself for a Difficult Fight
You may be able to file a claim against your employer for serious and willful misconduct; this is usually in limited circumstances and usually very difficult to prove. You must demonstrate that the action (or lack of action) your employer took was done while they understood that harm would likely result, or that the action was intentionally harmful.
One of the reasons workers’ comp tries to circumvent lawsuits is that proving that an employer is at fault for an injury can be exceedingly difficult, and the resulting case may be costly. This is why some people opt to simply work through the no-fault workers’ comp system. However, talking to an experienced workers’ comp lawyer can help you evaluate whether or not you can or should present a case. Keeping careful notes, conversing with coworkers, and documenting your experience through records, receipts, and photos may help in the event that you do file a lawsuit.
Contact a Colorado Springs Workers’ Comp Attorney
To find out about intentional misconduct laws in the state of Colorado, contact Heuser & Heuser of Colorado Springs. They can answer more specific questions and evaluate your case.
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
Frequently Asked Questions
How Do I Know What My Case Is Worth?
There are a variety of things we look at when evaluating your case and determining its value. We look at how the accident occurred. We look at what sort of injuries you sustained. Do you have a permanent injury that will last the rest of your life? Are you going to have future medical bills? We look at lost wages. Did you lose your job? If you have permanent work restrictions as a result of the accident, you may not be able to find a job very easily in the future. These are some of the factors that we look at in evaluating a claim. Every case is unique and different. That’s why at our law firm, every case gets personal attention from the lawyer when it comes time to evaluate.
Why is it Important to Hire a Lawyer?
Insurance companies are in business for a reason: to make money. Anytime they are paying money on a claim, it means less money to their bottom line. They have literally hundreds of adjusters and hundreds of lawyers who are on their side trying to figure out how to prevent money from leaving their checkbooks. Quite frankly, you do need a lawyer to help you through this because your lawyer will make sure you’re properly compensated.
Do Cases Settle Without Going to Court?
Cases settle before going to trial 80 to 90 percent of the time. However, that doesn’t mean there’s not a lot of work involved in getting a case settled outside of court. Sometimes you have to file a lawsuit and do a lot of what I call “legal maneuvering” to get a case settled. That means we take depositions from witnesses to the accident, from police officers, and from your doctors. But, yes, most cases will settle prior to trial.
Do You Get Good Results for Your Clients?
We do get good results for our clients. We have settled hundreds, if not thousands, of cases where we’ve had large settlements. We’ve had substantial verdicts. We go to the mat for our clients if necessary. We’ll appeal cases. We’ll do whatever it takes to make sure our client is taken care of.
See What Our Clients Say
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
Our Attorneys
Gordon J. Heuser, Esq.
As a Colorado Springs native, Gordon has been practicing in Southern Colorado for 35+ years.…
Barkley D. Heuser, Esq.
Barkley Heuser is a Colorado native, and has lived in Colorado Springs for over 59…
Brennan D. Heuser, Esq.
Brennan Heuser is a Colorado Native who graduated from the University of Miami, Fl with…
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Want To Learn More About Your Colorado Car Accident Case? Download Our EBook, On Us!
We wanted to find a way to make your car wreck case even easier for you. That is why we wrote this guide that will provide you with the critical information you need to know about your car accident case.
As car accident law professionals, we have seen too many individuals lose out on their maximum owed compensation. Don’t miss out on the settlement you deserve! In this book, you will learn how to:
- Avoid the key mistakes that can derail your claim.
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- Understand the dos and don’ts of social media.
- Position yourself to collect full and fair compensation for your injuries.
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions Or Schedule A Free Appointment? Click To Call (719) 520-9909
No Fee Unless You Win
Questions or Schedule A free Appointment? Click to Call (719) 520-9909
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