Maryland Assembly Line Injury Lawyer
Manufacturing accidents are an unfortunate part of working on an assembly line. The combination of powerful machines and heavy equipment could lead to a variety of acute, life-altering injuries. Maryland’s workers’ compensation system exists to provide assembly line workers hurt on the job an avenue to recover medical treatment and monetary compensation for their injuries.
If you believe you qualify for a compensation claim, you have the right to hire the workers’ compensation attorney of your choice. From the beginning of the claims process to the end, legal counsel could provide guidance that could help you get the compensation you deserve. Call right away to schedule a consultation with a Maryland assembly line injury lawyer.
What are the Common Risks Assembly Line Workers Face?
An assembly line is an inherently dangerous environment. The moving parts and heavy machinery provide countless ways to suffer life-altering injuries. What’s more, the repetitive nature of these tasks could also lead to health complications. To best help victims prepare a compensation claim, it is incumbent on a Maryland assembly line injury attorney to identify the factors that contributed to a victim’s injury. Some of the most common risk factors on an assembly line include:
- Injuries from repetitive bodily motion
- Exhaustion
- Exposure to toxic substances
- Crushing injuries
- Vehicle injuries
- Burns
Benefits Available in a Maryland Workers’ Compensation Claim
When Maryland assembly line workers suffer an injury on the job, state law prevents them from filing a personal injury action against their employer. While an injury suit is typically the appropriate avenue to seek monetary compensation, Maryland’s workers’ compensation system is designed to replace that process for injured employees.
The benefits available from a compensation claim are somewhat similar to damages in a personal injury lawsuit, but there are some important differences. Damages commonly awarded in workers’ compensation claims include:
- Temporary disability benefits
- Permanent disability benefits
- Medical treatment resulting from the work injury
- Vocational rehabilitation and job retraining
- Death benefits
- Mileage compensation for trips to the doctor
There are some damages in a personal injury case that are not available through workers’ compensation. For example, an injured worker cannot seek monetary compensation for their pain and suffering. State law also applies limits to most awards depending on the severity and nature of the injury.
Additional Remedies
Although you cannot sue your employer for causing your work injury (with only extremely rare exceptions), you can sue another party for negligently or intentionally hurting you. This is called a third-party lawsuit and the most common examples of such situations are:
- The driver who rear-ends your work vehicle while you are out making a delivery
- The designer/fabricator of a negligently-designed machine which hurts you
- The employee of another contractor who injures you
The third-party case proceeds like any regular civil litigation and, in the case of a serious injury, may gain a monetary recovery which changes the claimant’s life.
What is the Deadline to File a Compensation Claim in Maryland?
There are several important deadlines to understand when it comes to the filing of a Maryland workers’ compensation claim. First, an employee must report a workplace injury to their employer within ten days of the injury. Failure to do so could cost an injured worker their shot at compensation. For occupational illnesses, the deadline to notify an employer is one year from the discovery of the illness.
In addition to notifying the employer, an injured worker must also file a claim for compensation with the Maryland Workers’ Compensation Commission within 2 years of the injury. Failure to file within that 2-year period will likely result in a late claim being barred by limitations.
Discuss a Claim with a Maryland Assembly Line Injury Attorney
The potential for injury on a Maryland assembly line is significant. When accidents happen, an injured worker has a limited amount of time to pursue a workers’ compensation claim. The failure to timely notify an employer of an injury or file a claim with the commission could result in the denial of the claim.
With so much at stake, the risks of pursuing a workers’ compensation claim without the assistance of legal counsel outweigh any reward. To learn more about how a Maryland assembly line injury lawyer could help, call right away and schedule a confidential consultation.
