If you’ve been hurt at work, you need a Chicago work injury attorney
Workplace injuries can happen to anyone at any time, and when they do, an experienced Chicago personal injury lawyer from Coplan + Crane can help you get the compensation you need and deserve. We have experience handling workplace injury claims and other personal injury cases.
Whether you work in an office, a factory, in construction or on the railroad, the risk of serious injury exists. If you need help dealing with a workers’ compensation claim, a construction accident, or other personal injury claim, our legal team can answer your questions, explain your legal options, and help you take steps to get the compensation you’re entitled to. Our Chicago work injury attorneys know how to win multi-million-dollar settlements and verdicts for injured clients. Contact us today for a FREE consultation.
What are common types of workplace injuries?
There are many different types of workplace injuries. From carpal tunnel syndrome in offices to a spinal cord injury on a construction site, a serious injury can negatively impact your ability to work and function normally for months, years, or even the rest of your life.
Some of the cases our Chicago personal injury lawyers help injured clients with include:
Our work injury attorneys have a strong track record for obtaining large, multi-million-dollar verdicts for workplace injury victims. Building a strong workplace injury case takes time and can be extremely difficult. Fortunately, you don’t have to worry about how much it costs to research and defend your case. That’s because we work on a contingency fee basis. That means you pay nothing unless we recover compensation. It’s that simple. If you’ve been injured in an accident, you need to take action right away. Contact us today for a free consultation.
Construction Accidents
Construction sites can be dangerous places. Each year, people working on construction sites are injured at work then fired, or killed in on-the-job accidents. Even though construction companies are typically obligated to inspect each site with safety engineers and provide safety programs, accidents happen. When they do happen, you need a personal injury lawyer from Coplan + Crane on your side.
There are so many different factors to consider when dealing with construction accidents. If it can be shown that a third party’s negligence caused the injuries, that party can be held liable. This includes other companies working on the same site, manufacturers of construction equipment and architects. All of these could be grounds for third-party liability claims.
When a worker is injured due to his or her own negligence or that of his or her employer, or due to a condition which was nobody’s fault, that injured party can still receive compensation through workers’ compensation. The benefits under workers’ comp include weekly payments based on a percentage of the employee’s average weekly wage for temporary total disability, partial disability, permanent and total disability and permanent loss of function and disfigurement. Workers’ comp also covers medical expenses for treatment that is reasonable, necessary and related to the industrial injury and vocational rehabilitation services.
Construction accidents have led to devastating injuries, including spinal cord injuries, traumatic brain injuries, and fatal injuries. If you or a loved one was injured in a fall accident, or a crushing accident, you will need an experienced personal injury attorney who can help obtain the compensation you rightfully deserve.
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Third-Party Liability Claims
Employees from different companies often work together in the same location. When someone working for another company causes an injury to you, you may have grounds for a third-party liability claim. These cases are especially common on construction sites, where more than one employee from a different company is building or repairing a house, office, school, road or railroad. Construction accidents often involve serious and life-threatening injuries.
When a construction site accident occurs, the owners, architects and manufacturers of equipment can be held responsible for inadequate safety provisions. If any of these people work for someone besides your employer, you could have grounds for a third-party liability claim. The general contractor and all subcontractors are required to provide a reasonably safe site, to warn of hazards inherent in the site and work, and to hire careful, qualified employees.
Another common third-party liability claim includes manufacturers of construction equipment. They are responsible for designing and maintaining safe products. Defective or dangerous products may include power tools, ladders, winches, trucks, graders, scrapers, tractors, bulldozers, forklifts, derricks, hoists, conveyors, woodworking tools, boilers, pressure vessels, backhoes, heavy equipment, scaffolding, cranes, gas detectors and other types of construction equipment.
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Asbestos Exposure
Exposure to asbestos can cause all sorts of serious health problems. When asbestos fibers enter the lungs, the fibers can cause or contribute to a wide variety of illnesses, including mesothelioma, a form of cancer.
It can take years for symptoms to develop after exposure to asbestos. This is one reason why our personal injury lawyers are handling new cases, even though many construction companies no longer use asbestos when building a new structure due to the associated health risks. Asbestos was commonly used in construction in the late 19th century and early 20th century to insulate buildings, electrical wires and in other construction materials.
The Chicago personal injury attorneys at Coplan + Crane have handled many complicated asbestos exposure cases and know what it takes to build a strong claim. Injuries sustained on construction sites, especially demolition work, often result in exposure to asbestos, especially in older homes and buildings. In certain cases, some people die due to asbestos exposure, resulting in a wrongful death claim.
Asbestos exposure claims can be extremely complicated. Since the company that installed or manufactured the asbestos may no longer exist, you might think you don’t have grounds for an asbestos exposure claim. Don’t assume anything. Often, the company responsible for removing asbestos should be aware of the risks and take precautions to make sure no one is exposed to this dangerous product. When such steps are not taken, that company needs to be held responsible for its negligent behavior.
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Workers’ Compensation
If you or a loved one is hurt on the job, you have rights. You must be compensated for your injuries. Laws passed by the state require that your employer, or your employer’s insurance company, compensate you, or your family, for injuries or death that may occur while you are working. You may be entitled to the following:
- Weekly benefits while you are temporarily totally disabled and unable to work.
- Compensation for your medical expenses.
- Weekly payments or a lump sum payment for partial or total disability resulting from a work-related injury or wrongful death.
Time is crucial when it comes to workers compensation claims (also informally known as workman’s comp claims). Often, you have a limited amount of time to file a claim to obtain compensation. This time limit is known as the statute of limitations. Our Chicago workers’ compensation lawyers are known throughout the state for obtaining large, multi-million-dollar verdicts for injured clients
Don’t Wait – Contact a Workplace Injury Lawyer at Coplan + Crane Today
Along with contacting us, you should report your injury immediately to your employer. If you cannot reach an agreement with your employer or their insurance carrier as to what benefits or medical expense payments you are entitled to receive, you can file your claim with the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. Whatever the circumstances are surrounding your workers’ compensation claim, our law firm wants to hear from you. Contact us today for a free consultation.