South Jersey Workers’ Compensation Lawyer

Accidents on the job are a risk in every industry, whether it’s a slip and fall accident working in a school cafeteria or a catastrophic crush injury at a construction site. When an accident occurs on the job in South Jersey, the attorneys at Grungo Law should be your first call after the dust settles. When an injury threatens your livelihood it’s natural to be alarmed.

Workers’ compensation claims are rarely easy and require extensive documentation and a diligent filing process. Even better, your attorney may be able to find further options for recovering damages caused by the injury, such as through a third-party liability claim. Reach out to our South Jersey injury lawyers today for a free evaluation of your case.

Why Choose a Worker’s Compensation Lawyer From Us?

The South Jersey worker’s compensation attorneys at Grungo Law have a strong local reputation for success in defending their injury clients’ rights to compensation. With over $135 million in settlements and jury awards for our clients, we’ll put a powerful voice behind your claim as well as the following advantages for your case:

• A free confidential consultation and no fees until you receive your compensation
• The latest in cutting-edge technology for documenting evidence combined with traditional client advocacy methods to advance your claim toward a fast, favorable outcome
• Skilled attorneys with years of experience navigating work injury claims in New Jersey
• Passionate client advocates who devote personalized attention and develop unique strategies for each work injury victim

Workers’ compensation attorneys in South Jersey’s injury law firm of Grungo Law are ready to get to know you and your family so we can determine the impacts of the injury on your daily life and ability to earn a living. Let us represent your best interests in recovering financial compensation so you can focus on recovering from the physical impacts of the injury.

Causes of Injuries for Workers’ Compensation Claims in New Jersey

Injuries at work can happen in a variety of ways, often depending on the type of work and the hazards associated with different work environments. Common causes of workers’ compensation injury claims in South Jersey include the following:

• Slip-and-fall injuries
• Machinery/equipment accidents
• Falls from heights
• Car accidents
• Broken bones
• Back strains from lifting
• Struck-by equipment injuries
• Crush-between injuries
• Falling object injuries
• Toxic exposures
• Electrocutions
• Explosions and burns
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Sprains and strains
• Lacerations and bruises
• Defective product and equipment injuries

If your injury occurred in the workplace or while on the job, you’re entitled to compensation while you heal. A workers’ compensation attorney from Grungo Law can investigate all aspects of the injury to pursue the best path for maximizing your compensation.

Injuries Associated With Workers’ Compensation

When injuries occur in the workplace, they range from mild, inconvenient sprains and strains, to permanent, life-altering injuries that make it difficult to earn a living and provide for a family. Common injuries in South Jersey Workers’ compensation claims include the following:

• Back injuries
• Neck injuries
• Knee injuries
• Shoulder injuries
• Broken bones
• Burns from fire, explosions, and electrocutions
• Brain injuries
• Spinal cord injuries
• Soft tissue injuries (sprains and torn ligaments) 
• Injuries caused by repetitive motion, such as carpal tunnel syndrome
• Cumulative trauma injuries such as herniated discs

These injuries occur when employees are doing their best for their employers at work. Thankfully, New Jersey’s workers’ compensation insurance makes it possible for injured employees to receive medical treatment and continue receiving a percentage of their income while they recover. If there was a death involved, please contact a South Jersey wrongful death lawyer today. 

Proving Liability at Work

When an accident and injury occurs at work, it’s important to obtain experienced legal counsel so you know your options and the best way to move forward. While a workers’ compensation claim doesn’t require proving an employer’s liability, if the employer was negligent and the negligent action directly caused the injury, you can take legal action rather than accepting a workers’ compensation claim. Proving liability for a work injury requires proving the following:

• That the employer was aware of a hazardous condition or situation at work
• That they owed a duty of care to employees to take reasonable measures to prevent injuries
• They breached this duty through an act of negligence
• Their negligent breach of duty directly caused the injury
• You’ve suffered significant physical and economic damages from the injury

These are the same legal tenets of liability required to prove a claim against a third party in a workplace injury, such as a negligent subcontractor or a negligent property owner in a construction accident claim.

What Are My Options After a Work Injury in South Jersey?

If you’ve been injured while on the job in South Jersey, your attorney can review the circumstances of your injury to determine the best way forward for your claim. In most cases, you’ll have two options to recover damages like medical costs and lost wages:

• File a workers’ compensation claim
• File a liability claim against a third-party

Depending on the circumstances of your case, third-party liability is often a better option for recovering full compensation for the significant damages a serious injury causes. Third-party liability occurs when the injury happens due to an at-fault party that isn’t your employer even if the injury occurred at work. Some examples of third-party fault include contractors at construction sights, defective product manufacturers, and drivers who cause an accident while you’re making a delivery, pickup, or running errands for work.

Many employees choose third-party liability lawsuits because they don’t come with the limits placed on workers’ comp claims.

Filing a Workers’ Compensation Claim in South Jersey

If you’ve been hurt while on the job in South Jersey, you must notify your employer immediately and ask for an accident report detailing the circumstances of the accident. Your employer will then notify their insurance provider of your injury. If the injury prevents you from working for seven or more days, the insurance company will evaluate the injury and its cause to determine if you’re eligible for benefits including medical costs and a percentage of your average weekly income. If the claim is denied for any cause, you can appeal the action. Because this process is complicated and time-consuming an attorney can help to facilitate faster action on your claim to relieve your financial concerns.

Why Choose a Third-Party Liability Claim Over Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation exists to provide a fail-safe method for ensuring workers hurt on the job continue to receive income while they recover. In a no-fault state like New Jersey, employees don’t need to prove their employer is at fault for the accident in order to receive benefits. A workers’ comp claim ensures that you’ll continue to receive 70% of your average pay while it also pays for the medical treatment for your injury, typically through a doctor of their choosing.
If your injury was caused by a third party, you can choose to file a third-party liability claim instead of workers’ compensation. This type of claim does not limit plaintiffs to economic damages like medical costs and lost income but also allows compensation for non-economic damages like pain and suffering.

Proving liability requires showing that the at-fault party was negligent in their duty to take reasonable measures to ensure your safety and that the breach directly caused your injury and the related financial damages.

How Much is My South Jersey Claim Worth?

The average workers’ compensation claim recovers over $22,000; however, this average includes both minor and severe injuries. The amount you claim may be substantially more or less than the average depending on the circumstances. The amount you’re able to recover either through workers’ compensation insurance or a third-party lawsuit after an injury depends on many factors including the following:

• How serious an injury you have and the amount of time you’ll need to recover before you can return to work
• If your injury resulted in disability preventing you from earning a living in the future
• Whether or not you pursue a workers’ compensation claim for 70% of your pay as well as your medical expenses or whether you pursue a claim for negligence
• If you file a personal injury lawsuit rather than a workers’ compensation claim you can recover additional compensation for pain and suffering

During your free consultation, your attorney from Grungo Law can give you a better idea of your legal options and what you might expect to recover in your claim.

Will I Have to Go to Court For My Workers’ Compensation Claim?

Most workers’ compensation claims and workplace negligence lawsuits result in settlements so you never have to go to court. Only under specific circumstances is a court appearance necessary. For instance, if workers’ compensation denies your claim and you file an appeal you may have to appear before a judge to dispute the decision. Similarly, most employer negligence or third-party workplace negligence claims are resolved through a settlement without a court case. Only in the case of a wrongfully denied claim or inadequate settlement offer does the case require a court appearance for litigation in front of a judge and jury.

The Difference Between Short and Long-Term Disability

Some employees suffer short-term disability when an injury requires time and medical treatment to heal before they can go back to work. Short-term disability requires temporary wage replacement and coverage for the cost of medical care until the employee reaches full recovery and a doctor clears them to return to work. Some employers sustain more serious injuries that result in permanent disability. Injuries such as traumatic limb loss, spinal cord injuries, and traumatic brain injuries may result in permanent disability. Workers’ compensation claims and personal injury lawsuits for long-term disability could include permanent wage replacement for those who are unable to return to work at all due to permanently disabling injuries.

Contact Our South Jersey Workers’ Comp Lawyers

At Grungo Law, we understand how distressing it is to have your ability to support yourself and your family in jeopardy due to an on-the-job injury. We will use our years of experience with work-related injuries to evaluate the unique circumstances of your accident and determine the best move forward to maximize your compensation either through workers’ compensation benefits or a third-party liability claim. Contact our South Jersey law office today for a free case evaluation so we can begin finding the best strategy for your claim.