Millions of people are injured on the job every year, typically these injuries are covered by Workers Compensation. In many cases, when a worker is injured on the job his recovery is limited to Workers Compensation benefits, however, there are important exceptions. On many job sites where there are several subcontractors, a worker is not limited to Workers Compensation if he/she can show that his/her injury is caused by a worker who is not employed by the same employer as the injured party.
If you have suffered personal injury in Atlanta or anywhere in the State of Georgia, it is important you understand how the above-mentioned exceptions may apply to your case. Only a highly qualified and experienced Georgia personal injury lawyer can ensure you obtain full compensation due for your injuries and disruption of your life.
Examples of this situation are as follows:
- A worker who is employed by a framing contractor falls through a hole in the concrete slab between floors of a building, which is left by the HVAC contractor. Ultimately, the hole will be filled by HVAC equipment but the HVAC contractor does not safely cover the hole on a temporary basis. The injured worker can sue the HVAC contractor and recover Workers Compensation from his employer.
- A worker is employed by a subcontractor pouring foundations for concrete piers is injured by the employee of a subcontractor who is operating the crane on the job site. A worker can recover from Workers Compensation and sue the employer of the crane operator as well as the crane operator for a personal injury case.
- An iron worker is erecting the steel frame for a gymnasium. The structural steel collapses causing the iron worker to fall several floors and sustain a severe brain injury. The iron worker can collect Workers Compensation, but also can collect in a personal injury case against the architect, the engineer, and the steel fabricator.