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.
Call Our New Mexico Work Injury Attorneys at (888) 493-1629
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 discuss your legal 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.
