Should I Talk To a Workers’ Comp Attorney?

California Work Injury Lawyer Explains 

Video Transcript:

Molly Hendrickson: 

Why should an injured worker speak to a lawyer if they are to receive workers' comp? We asked attorney Michelle West in this Ask the Lawyers Quick Question.

Michelle West: 

Most of my clients honestly do have Workers Comp, and they have a workers comp case, if there is... And it is the exclusive remedy oftentimes, so that's great that they're getting their medical care, and then they have potentially some other money for their injury, but if there is a defective machine, if there is another third party, meaning another party other than the employer, that is responsible for the injury of that worker, then a lawyer can evaluate that and a lawyer will be able to find out if a piece of equipment, maybe it was a piece of earth-moving equipment that a guard had been removed off of it, and your employer may have just been renting that vehicle during the time that you're using it, it may not be... your employer will pay for the injury for now, but if the vehicle owner should have been maintaining and make sure that the guard was on it, a lawyer can analyze that, sue the right party who caused the harm on that machine, and then the work comp case will actually be paid back, so in a way, it is the best way for the system to make sure that the truly responsible party is bearing the burden of compensating the injured persona.

Disclaimer: This video is for informational purposes only. In some states, this video may be deemed Attorney Advertising. The choice of lawyer is an important decision that should not be based solely on advertisements.