Is temp work covered for work injuries?


Question: Is temp work covered for work injuries?

I was working at a temporary job through a temp agency and I was injured. It was a slip and fall accident. The company where I was working (not the temp agency) had a wet floor and required the workers to continue. I slipped, fell and injured my back.

I was sent to the emergency hospital and they had a specialist look at my back. She said that it may require surgery. Only time will tell if it heals without surgery.

The temp agency is telling me that I am not covered by workers compensation insurance from them and that I need to look to the company where I was assigned to compensate me for my injuries. In the mean time I need more medical attention and I don’t have the money for it. Also, the hospital wants to be paid.

What should I do?

Answer:

I believe the answer to this will be in the workers compensation laws in the area that you live. It is hard to believe that no one is responsible for the consequences of this accident. Also, the contract between the temp agency and the company that you were working at will have a bearing on this. I’m sure situations like this are spelled out in that contract.

I would contact the company where you were working as a temp and appraise them of the situation. Make it clear that you want to be compensated not only for the cost of the medical treatment that you have received but also for any future medical treatments that you need as a result of the injury, including surgery.

If they put it back on the temp agency, you will probably need to get a personal injury attorney involved. They will know who is responsible and can help you get your medical costs, current and future.

You might also want to look into the working conditions of the company where you were injured to see if they were violating safety rules. Your lawyer can help with that and any action you might have to take against all the parties.

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Will the insurance company pay me on this claim?

Question: Will the insurance company pay me on this claim?

I was in an accident recently with my motorcycle. Amazingly I didn’t sustain any serious injuries, but my motorcycle was totaled. I had a small amount that I owed on the bike.

The insurance company has already paid my medical bills. My question is, will the insurance company pay me directly for the motorcycle or the loan company?

Answer:

It really depends on the insurance company and their internal policies. Some insurance companies do things a little different.

Most of the time the title on a vehicle remains with the lender until the loan is paid off. And many times insurance companies will want to pay the person or entity who has title.

But in my experience, the insurance company will correspond with the lender to find out how much they are owed on the bike. They will then, most likely issue two checks, one to the insurance company for the amount they are owed and one to you for the balance of the value of the motorcycle.

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I didn’t file a report for a work injury and now I am paying medical bills. What should I do?

Question: I didn’t file a report for a work injury and now I am paying medical bills. What should I do?

I was injured at work and told my supervisor. She asked if I wanted to go to a doctor. I didn’t think I was hurt so I said no.

My back started hurting me about 3 weeks later and I went to my doctor. It turns out I injured my back in the work accident.

I need treatment, maybe even surgery. Is it too late to file for worker’s compensation insurance?

Answer:

Speak to your supervisor immediately. Hopefully she made a note in the accident book that you had an accident. If she didn’t, ask her to be a witness for you if there is an action.

You’ve put yourself in a bad position here, it is possible if your supervisor doesn’t help you that you may have to get a worker’s compensation lawyer to handle your case. You will still have to prove that you had the accident at work.

In the future you should report any accident at work as soon as it happens

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Restaurant doesn’t want to pay for my slip and fall. What can I do?

Question: Restaurant doesn’t want to pay for my slip and fall. What can I do?

I walked into a restroom at a restaurant and slipped on the wet floor. There wasn’t a sign in the restroom about the wet floor. I went to the reception desk and told them about my fall and no sign.

The manager yelled for someone and a man came out of the back room. He said the sign was outside the restroom a little to the side of the entrance door.

I didn’t think I was hurt at the time, but later in the evening my back starting hurting very badly. I went to the emergency room and they said that I had sprained by back.

I contacted the restaurant manager and told him that I was hurt and there would be some medical bill. I asked if they had insurance to cover that.

He said that they did have insurance but that he didn’t think the restaurant was at fault because they did have a sign up outside the door. He felt that they had warned me and that just because I didn’t see the sign didn’t make the accident their fault.

The injury bills are up to a few thousand dollars and they refuse to pay. I think they are at fault and I don’t have the money for the bills.

What should I do?

Answer:

The fact that they had a sign outside the restroom doesn’t make sense unless the restroom is postage stamp size. Inside would make more sense as it would warn people of the wet floor.

They don’t want to make a claim on their insurance because it will run up their policy rates. But they may be liable here.

You need to talk to a personal injury lawyer that is familiar with the slip and fall injury laws in your area. It may only take a letter from the attorney to the restaurant to get some action. They may not want to fight it as that may cost even more money.

If that doesn’t do it, the lawyer can give you good advice as to the restaurant’s responsibility for the accident and the chances of winning a law suit.

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