The Purpose of Workers' Compensation

Workers’ compensation is a wonderful safety net for workers who suffer injuries on the job or develop occupational illnesses. When you miss work time because of a work-related accident or ailment, an employer’s workers’ compensation insurance helps to at least partially offset the financial effects that arise. This is a great relief, but it is important to understand the hidden tradeoff that is involved with filing a workers’ compensation claim.

The appeal of filing a claim is great. If your employer’s insurer does not dispute or deny the request for benefits, then you will receive the benefit payments quickly. However, by choosing to seek the compensation available through a workers’ compensation scheme, you sacrifice your right to pursue a legal action against your employer in conjunction with your injuries, barring extraordinary circumstances.

To help you determine what the best course of action is for your specific situation, contact the Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers of the Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800.

What You May Lose

If an employer’s negligence was demonstrably responsible for or a significant contributing factor to your injury, filing a lawsuit against your employer may be a preferable alternative. The downsides of this route include:

• A substantially longer wait before you receive compensation
• Much stronger resistance and greater workplace tension
• Increased psychological stress

But the positives, pending a favorable outcome include:

• Holding your employer accountable in a legal decision
• More compensation and damages for a wider variety of issues

Contact Us

When you are trying to resolve the complications of a workplace injury, it can all be a bit confusing. But you do not have to sift through the mess of details on your own. Contact the Charleston workers’ compensation lawyers of the Steinberg Law Firm at 843-720-2800.