New Mexico Work Accident Lawyers
With Billions in Recoveries, Arnold & Itkin Is a Proven Advocate for the Injured
No matter what field you work in or what job you perform, you could experience a serious work-related accident or injury at any time. Equipment could malfunction on an assembly line at a plant. Boxes could fall on you in a warehouse. An explosion or fire could tear through a refinery. Even if you have a desk job, you could trip and fall while getting on the elevator or could suffer from carpal tunnel syndrome.
If you were seriously injured in a workplace accident, don’t wait to talk to a New Mexico work injury attorney about your rights. We represent all types of workers across all industries, including:
- Administrative employees
- Agricultural workers
- Construction workers
- Consultants
- Contractors
- Dockworkers
- Industrial workers
- Loggers
- Maintenance and repair workers
- Maritime workers
- Mechanics
- Mining workers
- Office workers
- Offshore workers
- Oilfield workers
- Pilots and flight engineers
- Plant and refinery workers
- Railroad workers
- Retail employees
- Seasonal workers
- Truck drivers
- Warehouse employees
Call (888) 493-1629 today for a free, private review of your work injury case. We serve New Mexico and the entire U.S.
Injured in an Industrial Accident? Here's What You Should Do.
If you were harmed in an industrial accident or any type of workplace accident in Albuquerque, there are steps you can take to protect yourself: your health, your financial stability, and your long-term well-being.
After a New Mexico work accident:
- Seek medical care. If you aren’t taken from the scene by ambulance for emergency treatment, go to your local urgent care center or see your doctor as soon as you can. Tell the doctor that you were injured in a workplace accident and describe what happened. Even if you feel that your injuries are minor, you should seek treatment to avoid further injury.
- Inform your employer. In New Mexico, you have only 15 days from the date of a workplace accident or injury to inform your employer. If you wait longer than 15 days, your ability to recover workers’ compensation benefits may be jeopardized. Inform your employer in writing and keep records of all communication with your employer about your injury.
- Talk to an attorney. Even with workers’ comp benefits, which are supposed to be provided on a no-fault basis, you may run into trouble getting the medical care and money you need. Delays, underpayments, and even outright denials are all too common when it comes to New Mexico work accident cases. An Albuquerque industrial injury attorney can help with your workers’ compensation claim and can determine whether you can seek additional compensation through a third-party lawsuit
Workers’ Comp vs. Personal Injury Claims
In New Mexico, employers with three or more employees are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. Construction companies are required to provide workers’ comp coverage for all their workers, no matter how many employees they may have.
Workers’ compensation is a valuable system that provides coverage on a no-fault basis, meaning an injured worker does not need to prove that someone else was to blame to recover benefits. Workers can receive medical care and benefits for lost earnings under the workers’ comp system in New Mexico.
In some cases, an injured worker may have grounds for a third-party lawsuit. Because workers’ comp does not provide total coverage for lost earnings, loss of future earnings, emotional trauma, and other non-economic damages, a third-party personal injury lawsuit can make a considerable difference in a worker’s ability to rebuild.
Protecting Industrial Workers in Albuquerque, NM & Nationwide
Industrial workers face a plethora of work hazards on a daily basis; however, that does not mean it should be expected for them to sustain serious injuries. No matter whether you have been injured while working in a mine, in a factory, or on a construction site, you have legal rights that deserve to be protected. By working with an experienced New Mexico industrial injury attorney, you can take the necessary steps toward recovery.
Our firm can help individuals who have been involved in industrial accidents at chemical plants, factories, warehouses, refineries, mines, and all other industrial worksites in Albuquerque, across New Mexico, and nationwide. Industrial workers are more likely to suffer catastrophic harm in a workplace accident due to the nature of their job duties. Some industrial workers must work with and in close proximity to heavy machinery, toxic substances, and complex equipment. A single mistake can cause a disastrous industrial accident.
Employer Responsibility: Preventing Industrial Accidents
Since 1971, OSHA has worked with employers and employees alike to promote increased safety in the workplace, particularly industrial worksites. These help keep industrial workers and all employers safe at work.
Some pieces of regulations enforced by OSHA include:
- Increased use of guards to cover machinery parts;
- Efforts to keep healthcare workers from being exposed;
- Increased safety training for workers throughout the states; and
- Mandatory usage of protective equipment when handling chemicals.
Through its efforts, the rate of workplace accidents has severely decreased; however, that does not mean that the problem has disappeared. In fact, nearly four million occupational injuries and illnesses were reported in 2007, with half requiring the victim to take several days off of work.
New Mexico Work Accident FAQ
What should I do after a work accident?
There are three steps you should take as soon as possible after any work accident or on-the-job injury. When you take these steps, you’ll be protecting your health and your legal right to compensation. You should: 1) Seek medical attention; 2) Inform your employer; and 3) Talk to a New Mexico work accident lawyer.
Do I have to file a workers’ comp claim, even if I wasn’t seriously injured?
Even if you suffered minor injuries in an industrial accident or any workplace accident, it’s a good idea to seek medical care and file a workers’ compensation claim. You may even benefit from talking to an attorney to make sure you have a complete understanding of your options and rights. Some work injuries seem minor but end up impacting a workers’ life in many ways. In other scenarios, workers may spend hundreds or thousands of dollars out of pocket because they choose not to file a workers’ comp claim. Keep everything above the board and you will protect your right to the full compensation you need—and rightfully deserve.
In what ways can an attorney help after a work-related injury or accident?
Some workers in New Mexico find that they are mistreated or have their injuries swept under the rug by their employers. They experience retaliation in the form of demotion or termination when they try to recover benefits for a work accident. They are pressured into seeing company doctors. Their claims are delayed or underpaid.
An attorney can help after a work accident in many ways, by:
- Handling all communication with the employer and insurance provider;
- Asserting the injured worker’s right to treatment from a doctor of his or her choosing;
- Filing and following up on a workers’ compensation claim Investigating the cause of the accident to determine third-party liability;
- Filing a personal injury lawsuit, when applicable; and
- Fighting for the full and complete compensation a worker needs.
Instead of focusing your energy on the frustrating and seemingly impossible process of getting the right treatment and fair financial compensation after a workplace accident, put your case in competent hands. Our New Mexico work accident lawyers can handle everything so you don’t have to.
Call Our Work Injury Attorneys for a Free Case Review
Whether you are an employee and work part-time or full-time, and even if you’re an independent contractor or are self-employed, you can get experienced insight from our team at Arnold & Itkin. We’re ready to advise you of your legal rights and options so you can get the support and care you need after a workplace accident, injury, or illness.
When your future seems uncertain, when medical bills are piling up, and when you’re left dealing with the aftermath of a work injury, you need a team you can count on to handle everything while you focus your energy on healing. That’s Arnold & Itkin. We have the resources to investigate New Mexico work accident claims and the experience to handle workers’ comp and personal injury cases that maximize your recovery.
The first step is a free initial consultation with an Albuquerque industrial accident lawyer. Contact us today to get started.