An early morning accident on Interstate 95 left a law enforcement officer with serious injuries.
The officer works for the Maryland Transportation Authority. Rescuers had to close multiple lanes of the highway in order to investigate and clean up after the wreck. They transported the injured officer to a shock trauma center.
Workers’ compensation won’t pay for all losses
The accident remains under investigation. However, it is probably fair to say that the officer will get some financial help through Maryland’s workers’ compensation program. The program helps injured employees with medical bills and other expenses.
It also will cover a portion of the officer’s lost wages if the officer is unable to work.
However, workers’ compensation does not pay for the full cost of a person’s injuries. In particular, the program will not cover non-economic losses, including a person’s pain and suffering or mental distress. There may be limits even on what out-of-pocket expenses the program will pay.
While these sorts of items are difficult to put an exact dollar figure on, victims nonetheless should be able to get compensation for them.
Someone who gets hurt in an auto accident while working should explore options
A Maryland resident who gets hurt on the job because of an automobile accident should consider all legal options available to him or her. Additional compensation may be available, for example, if a person chooses to file a personal injury claim even if he or she also will receive workers’ compensation benefits.
While certainly trials are always options, in most cases, residents will wind up settling their claims with the responsible party’s insurance company.
Getting a favorable settlement usually will require the victim to present the insurance company with a thorough investigation and legal arguments that the insurance company will not easily be able to dispute.