Were you or a loved one injured on the job in Birmingham, AL? If so, you could be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and other damages. An experienced attorney can help you navigate your personal injury claim and seek maximum compensation for your damages.
The team at Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers has over 93 years of combined experience helping injured parties get the compensation they deserve. Our team handles all types of injury cases, including construction, slip and fall, and workplace accidents.
Call us today at (205) 206-5088 to schedule a free case evaluation with a Birmingham workplace accident lawyer.
How Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers Can Help After a Workplace Accident in Birmingham
Workplace accidents in Birmingham, Alabama can be life-changing. They often result in significant medical costs, missed work, and changes to your quality of life. The whole situation is overwhelming, and most people don’t know what to do after getting injured on the job.
Our team knows how to handle workers’ compensation and personal injury claims. We’ll review your case, discuss your rights, and give you a strategy for getting the best result possible.
Since our founding, Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers has fought hard for injured parties in Alabama. Our top-rated personal injury firm prides itself on providing every client with expert legal guidance and compassionate support. We know how to get results and have recovered hundreds of millions of dollars for our clients.
When you hire our Birmingham workers’ compensation lawyers, you can trust that we’ll:
- Investigate your accident
- Gather evidence to support your claim
- Determine all options for recovery
- Create a personalized strategy to get the most compensation possible
- Consult with experts to strengthen your claim
- Handle all administrative tasks
- Negotiate with insurance companies and opposing counsel to ensure you get the compensation you deserve
- Comply with all deadlines
Our team will handle all aspects of your workplace accident case so that you can focus on recovering and getting your life back to normal. Contact our Birmingham personal injury attorneys to schedule a free consultation today.
How Common Are Workplace Accidents in Alabama?
Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that there were 2.6 million workplace injuries in the private industry in 2023. In Alabama, there were 29,400 non-fatal workplace injuries.
That’s an incident rate of 2.0 per 100 full-time employees and an average of over 80 worker injuries per day. Over 70% of these injuries came from only three “supersectors”: trade, transportation, and utilities; manufacturing; and education and health services.
Unfortunately, workplace accidents continue to be more common than most people think. If you or a loved one were injured on the job in Alabama, contact a Birmingham personal injury lawyer to discuss your rights.
How Much Is My Birmingham Workplace Accident Case Worth?
The value of workplace accident claims varies significantly from case to case. One of the first questions we get from new clients is, how much is my accident case worth?
This is not surprising given the financial hardships that follow a workplace accident. Most victims have medical bills that are piling up, decreased income, and new out-of-pocket expenses.
Unfortunately, we can’t estimate your case’s value without knowing more about it. Each case is unique, and the value can range significantly from case to case.
Some of the factors that have the biggest impact on the value of your case are:
- The types of injuries you suffered
- Whether or not you’ll make a full recovery
- Your income before the accident
- Whether or not you can work
- Who was at fault in your accident
Our team will analyze your case, review documentation, and consult with expert witnesses to accurately value your claim. Injured parties only have one opportunity to recover compensation, so it’s essential to value the case accurately to ensure you get the compensation you deserve.
Common Injuries from Workplace Accidents
It’s not uncommon for employers or insurance companies to try to minimize the extent of your injuries after a workplace accident. Our team is familiar with this strategy and will fight hard to get compensation for your injuries.
Workplace accidents can lead to a wide range of injuries, from minor injuries to catastrophic injuries. Some of the most common injuries are:
- Broken bones
- Traumatic brain injuries
- Lacerations
- Crushing injuries
- Back injuries
- Repetitive stress injuries
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Amputations
- Paralysis
- Spinal cord injuries
- Neck injuries
- Burns
After an accident, get medical care as soon as possible. Prompt medical treatment improves your long-term prognosis and provides important documentation for your case.
What Are My Options for Getting Compensation After a Birmingham Workplace Accident?
After a workplace accident, there are two ways that workers can recover damages: workers’ compensation benefits or a personal injury claim. Almost all employees in Alabama are entitled to workers’ compensation benefits. If someone besides your employer was responsible for your accident, you could also have a personal injury claim against them. This is known as a third-party claim.
Workers’ Compensation
Under Alabama’s workers’ compensation laws, employers with five or more employees must have workers’ compensation insurance. If a worker is injured on the job, workers compensation insurance will cover:
- Medical bills
- Hospital stays
- Surgeries
- Prescription drug expenses
- Medical devices
- Benefits when the employee cannot work
- Death benefits if a loved one is in a fatal accident
The goal of workers’ compensation insurance is to reimburse employees for most or all of their financial losses from an accident. However, it does not provide compensation for non-economic losses like pain and suffering.
Personal Injury Lawsuit
If someone besides your employer was responsible for your accident, you can bring a personal injury lawsuit against them to recover damages.
If you have a third-party claim, you can demand damages to cover all your economic and non-economic damages. Third-party claims are a type of personal injury claim. In personal injury cases, the injured party can demand compensatory damages from the responsible party to put them in the same or a similar position as they were before the accident. Examples of compensatory damages available in third-party claims are:
- Medical expenses
- Future medical expenses
- Lost income
- Lost earning capacity
- Property damage
- Pain and suffering
- Decreased quality of life
- Loss of consortium
- Mental anguish
- Anxiety and depression
Our team can evaluate your case and discuss whether you have a workers’ compensation claim, a third-party claim, or both. Next, we’ll discuss all the damages you’re entitled to and build a strong case to support your claim.
Can I Recover Damages if I’m Partly at Fault for My Workplace Accident?
An employee can recover workers’ compensation regardless of who was at fault for the accident. Workers compensation is a no-fault system. Determining fault has no impact on your workers’ compensation claim or benefits.
In contrast, fault plays a big role in third-party claims. If you are partly at fault for an accident, you cannot recover damages from a third-party claim. Alabama is one of only a few states that follows a legal approach of contributory negligence.
Under this legal framework, if an injured party is partly at fault for the accident, the victim cannot recover any damages from other at-fault parties. This strict approach bars recovery even if you’re only 1% at fault for an accident.
Responsible parties and insurance companies will try to blame you for your accident to keep you from recovering damages. This is a common approach, and our team is used to defending clients who are blamed for their accidents.
Don’t panic if you’re being blamed for your accident, but you should contact a lawyer immediately to ensure your rights are protected.
What Causes Most Alabama Workplace Accidents?
Many different things can cause workplace accidents, but the unfortunate reality is that most workplace accidents can be avoided. Some of the most common causes of Alabama workplace accidents are:
- Slip and fall accidents
- Inadequate employee training
- Inadequate supervision
- Lack of necessary safety equipment
- Inadequate fall protection
- Exposure to live power lines
- Failure to comply with state or federal workplace safety regulations
- Physical strain
- Repetitive motions
- Dangerous premises
- Workplace violence
- Exposure to toxic chemicals
It’s important to determine what caused your accident. The cause of your accident impacts whether or not you can file a third-party claim. This can have a substantial impact on the compensation you receive.
How Long Do I Have to File a Lawsuit After a Workplace Accident in Birmingham?
The statute of limitations for workers’ compensation claims after an Alabama workplace accident is two years. This means claims must be filed within two years of the accident or within two years of the last compensation payment. However, you must report your work-related injury to your employer within 5 days of the injury, and your employer must submit a “first report of injury” to the Alabama Workers’ Compensation Commission within 15 days of being notified of the injury.
Similarly, the statute of limitations for third-party claims is two years. This means that a third-party lawsuit must be filed within two years of your injury.
There are various deadlines and procedural requirements for workers’ compensation and personal injury lawsuits. An experienced accident lawyer knows how to navigate these claims and will ensure your rights are protected.
Schedule a Free Consultation With a Birmingham Workplace Accident Lawyer
If you or a loved one were injured in an Alabama workplace accident, Belt, Bruner & Barnett Personal Injury Lawyers can help. Our team of experienced injury lawyers will analyze your case, discuss your rights, and create a plan to maximize your recovery.
We’ve recovered hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements and verdicts for our clients. Let us fight to get the money you deserve after a workplace accident. Call our Birmingham workplace accident lawyers for a free consultation.