No one wants to think about getting hurt at work, but it does happen more often than you think. If you do suffer a workplace injury, you want to trust that your employer will cover the costs of your injuries. However, filing a Family Dollar workers’ compensation claim in Houston is not always simple. Your employer might try to deny your claim or offer you a settlement that does not cover the full costs of your injuries and losses. A knowledgeable personal injury attorney could help you file a claim against your employer to get the compensation your family deserves.
When an employee files a lawsuit against their employer for damages they suffered on-the-job or because of their workplace duties, they need to prove that their employer is responsible for causing their injuries. In most situations, employees must establish that their employer was somehow negligent. The injured worker must show that their employer created the dangerous condition that led to their injury, knew about this condition, and still allowed it to remain at the workplace; or they did not know about the dangerous condition, but should have known about it through due diligence and reasonable actions.
If a Family Dollar employee experiences an injury at work, they can argue that their employer is responsible because they should have provided a safer workplace. For instance, if the worker experienced a head injury after slipping on wet floor, they could argue that their employer should have either told them that the floor was wet, such as by putting up a sign or blocking the area with ropes or cones, or removed the hazard by mopping up the spill.
Similarly, if an employee was held up at gunpoint and suffered psychological distress and post-traumatic stress, that worker could argue the employer was responsible for having inadequate security and insufficient lighting at the store.
A local lawyer could help an injured employee investigate the incident that led to their injury to search for proof of their employer’s liability, examining all available evidence, including medical reports, employee logs, and video surveillance footage. They could interview customers and other employees who might have witnessed the incident, and speak with people familiar with the store to learn about the cleaning, maintenance, security, and other practices.
Family Dollar is a non-subscriber employer that does not provide traditional workers’ compensation benefits to their employees. In a civil suit against non-subscribers, an employee only needs to prove that their employer was at least partially at fault for causing their injury. The injured worker does not need to prove that the employer was fully or even mostly to blame.
Unlike in other types of civil suits, an employer cannot use a contributory negligence defense. This means they cannot counter-argue that the employee’s own actions contributed to their injuries or that the injuries occurred because of another worker’s negligence.
Employers are responsible for creating workplace environments that are as safe as possible. When an unsafe workspace leads to an injury, the injured worker should be eligible to collect compensation. However, filing a Family Dollar workers’ compensation claim in Houston can be complicated. Your employer might try to deny you your rightful benefits, which is why it is essential to work with a well-informed and experienced local attorney who could aggressively fight on your behalf.
Call Schechter, Shaffer & Harris today to learn how we can help.
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