In Colorado, employers pay insurance premiums for workers’ compensation coverage in case one of their employees gets injured on the job. The worker’s comp act prohibits employees from suing their employer for negligence in exchange for the limited benefits allowed under the Workers’ Compensation system.
However, there are certain situations where there is third-party liability, meaning another person or entity’s negligence caused the injury — separate and apart from the employer. A third-party liability case offers the injured employee significant additional benefits not available under the work comp system such as damages for pain and suffering and future economic loss caused by the injury.
Example of Premises Liability Third-Party Case:
Here is an example of a potential third party liability case. An employer hires a snow plowing contractor to clear the employee parking lot. The employee is injured in the parking lot as a result of the negligent failure of the snow plow contractor to properly clear the lot. The employee is eligible for worker’s compensation benefits but is also able to file a third-party claim against the snowplow contracting company.
As you can probably imagine, small details are critical in these cases and the smallest of details may allow an injured worker to seek significant additional compensation by way of a third-party liability case. The Law Office of Michael Dominick primarily focuses on workers’ compensation claims, but in the course of discussing the facts of your case, it may be that we discover a possible third-party claim. Please call our office to discuss the specific facts of your accident. If we think it’s appropriate, we may be able to refer you to a law firm that specializes in personal injury. One great reference we often suggest is Chris Parks. Chris has an impressive track record in the personal injury world, will not hesitate to take a case to trial and also offers free consultations. His office phone number is (720) 805-1193 and his website is www.chrisparkslaw.com.
It is always a good idea to consult with an experienced workers’ compensation attorney, or personal injury attorney, to see if there is any potential third-party liability in your case. Our office provides such consultations free of charge so feel free to give us a call.
