Although you generally are barred from suing your employer and co-workers for on-the-job injuries, you usually can sue anyone else (a “third party”) who injures you while you are working. You may also be able to sue that person’s employer if the person was acting within the course of his or her job when you were hurt. For instance, if another company’s delivery backs into you because the driver wasn’t looking, you can sue the driver and the company he or she works for negligence. Likewise, if you are a traveling salesman and are injured on a business trip in an automobile accident caused by another person, you can sue that person for your injuries in addition to collecting workers’ compensation benefits. Or suppose that you work for Les’s Tools and Die and are injured by a defective machine made by ABZ Corporation. You can collect workers’ compensation benefits from Les’s, since you were an employee injured on the job. You can also bring a lawsuit to ABZ Corporation for manufacturing and distributing a defective machine.
If you or a loved one has been injured at work it is important to protect your legal rights. Call (916) 922-9902 to speak with a Sacramento work injury attorney, Tom Johnson.