What is “Workers’ Comp” and How Will it Affect My Refinery Plant Explosion Claim?

Worker’s comp is short for worker’s compensation. That is a type of insurance that people have when they work for an employer that’s given to them so you can get medical care if you were injured on the job. It is typically paid for and arranged by your own personal employer and you have to be injured when you are working in the course and scope of that employer to get the benefits.

This can create issues when you have a case because sometimes if your employer provides you worker’s compensation insurance, that can limit your ability, if not completely prevent you from, being able to sue them directly for causing an explosion even if they did in fact play some role in causing the explosion. There are also situations where even if your own direct employer provides you worker’s compensation insurance, they may have contracts and other arrangements with the refinery owner, the refinery operator, other people, which gives them the benefit of not having to be sued by you under what’s called the worker’s compensation bar, which prevents them from suing.

Worker’s compensation, while it can provide you some benefits by giving you insurance for medical care when you’re hurt, it can also provide a significant legal hurdle for you to be able to recover when an explosion occurs. It can prevent you from recovering against your own employer and potentially other employees depending on the contractual arrangements they have.

If you or a loved one were injured or killed in a plant or refinery explosion, the personal injury attorneys at Zehl & Associates, PC can help maximize your recovery.  Contact us today for a free consultation.