New Mexico Workplace Injury Lawyer

Have you been injured while on the job?

Understanding Benefits

Understanding Worker’s Compensation Insurance

Here are just a few of the things that we can do for you:

When you suffer a workplace injury, you may feel helpless as you watch medical bills and physical therapy bills pile up. As you focus on your healing and recovery, you are often unable to work, and as such, must deal with being unable to pay the bills that just keep on coming. We understand the stress, anxiety, and fear that can take over at times like these.

We hope that you never need to rely on Worker’s Compensation benefits, but if you do ever find yourself in the position of requiring such benefits, it helps to understand a little bit about the Worker’s Compensation program and its intentions.

Worker’s Compensation Insurance is a program which provides benefits to employees following a work-related injury or illness. It not only provides employees with the compensation they need to heal, recover, and hopefully return to work in due time, but also protects employers in several important ways:

• Worker’s Compensation covers expenses for employees after a workplace related injury or illness occurs. This means that employers do not have to pay out of pocket for medical expenses or lost wages resulting from the injury or illness in question.
• Worker’s Compensation protects employers from lawsuits following a workplace injury or illness. In most cases, employees are unable to directly sue their employers after sustaining injuries or illnesses at work. There are a few exceptions to this rule, but generally Worker’s Compensation prevents injured employees from filing a lawsuit against their employers.
• Worker’s Compensation ensures that businesses are compliant with state and federal regulations. In the United States, most businesses are required to carry Worker’s Compensation insurance. In New Mexico, any company with three or more full-time or part-time employees must have Worker’s Compensation insurance.

As you can see, while the Worker’s Compensation program is designed to ensure that employees injured on the job receive compensation for necessary expenses, it is also a complex system that serves businesses and employers as well. The Worker’s Compensation system is filled with intricacies which can make it difficult to understand and navigate at times. A qualified lawyer with strong experience advocating on behalf of Workplace Injury victims can help you maneuver the complexities of the system and ensure that the process goes as smoothly as possible.

Causes of Workplace Injuries

We believe that everyone should have a safe environment within which to conduct their work. In the United States, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is responsible for regulating workplace safety and ensuring that working conditions are free from unnecessary hazards. OSHA conducts regular inspections and provides guidance on training and education to businesses and employees. Unfortunately, even with the safety measures put into place by OSHA, workplace injuries are still common. Some of the most common cases that we see involve:

• Slip and Fall Accidents – These can occur in any workplace or building and can include slips or falls related to inclement weather conditions, wet surfaces, uneven surfaces, unsafe clutter littering floors, poor lighting, or slips or falls from heights including from a ladder, scaffolding, or platform.
• Motor Vehicle Accidents – Car and truck accidents are common causes of workplace injuries. In fact, transportation-related injuries are some of the leading causes of Worker’s Compensation claims in New Mexico. Anyone who drives for work is at risk for encountering unsafe drivers, inclement weather, and other road hazards.
• Overexertion – Many New Mexicans work in roles which expose them to overexertion injuries from pulling, pushing, carrying heavy loads, lifting, etc. Overexertion injuries can refer to the cumulative effect of a worker’s repeated overexertion efforts caused over time or can be the result of just one single incident of overexertion.
• Being struck by objects – Falling objects, flying objects, and scattered debris have the potential to cause serious injuries and are a common cause of injuries sustained during work.
• Exposure to hazardous chemicals, substances, or toxins – Many illnesses can be traced back to the harmful chemicals and toxins which inhabit some work environments.
• Violence – Unfortunately, another leading cause of workplace injury is intentional violence inflicted upon an employee by another employee, employer, customer, client, etc.

Allow Us to Handle the Legal Process While You Focus on Getting the Medical Care You Need

When you have been injured on the job, receiving prompt medical attention should be at the top of your priority list. Injuries and illnesses sustained at work can be debilitating and life changing. The true impact of an injury may not be evident for some time after the incident or accident occurs.

We frequently represent clients who have suffered serious bone fractures, breaks, and sprains following motor vehicle accidents or slip and fall accidents at work. These injuries usually require long recovery periods and, in some situations, leave victims suffering with pain and reduced function for years.

Another type of injury that we regularly see in our clients is chronic pain and soreness caused by overexertion. This type of injury may not present for some time following the incident(s) of overexertion.

Spinal cord and brain injuries are some of the most serious and devastating injuries that our clients have had to suffer through following a workplace accident including a motor vehicle accident or slip and fall accident. These injuries are life-changing and require long recovery periods and intense rehabilitation.

We have also fought on behalf of clients who have become ill with respiratory conditions after working in an environment with dangerous toxins or chemicals floating around in the air.

Important Industry Facts

You can fall victim to a workplace accident regardless of the environment or industry you work within. However, there are certain industries that have higher incidents of workplace injuries due to the nature of the work.

For example, the construction industry sees many incidents which may cause harm to employees. These injuries can be the result of slips or falls, falling or flying objects/debris, or equipment malfunctions/improper usage of heavy machinery.

Those employed within the transportation industry are also at increased risk than others for sustaining injuries during work. This is due, of course, to the inherent dangers of being on the road for many hours at a time.

Warehouse workers also have a higher likelihood of experiencing a work-related injury. These injuries are frequently related to overexertion from heavy lifting and often cause chronic pain in body parts like the back, neck, or knees.

Let Us Advocate for You

When you work with our Worker’s Compensation lawyers, you will be getting a team that fights tirelessly on behalf of our workplace injury clients. We are committed to transparency, integrity, and compassion and will remain your trusted advocates regardless of how long your claim takes to process. Our lawyers are experienced in understanding the important aspects of every case, gathering significant evidence to strengthen a case, and filing claims in an adequate and timely fashion. Most importantly, when you work with us, you get peace of mind knowing that your case is being handled in the best manner possible so that you can focus on your physical and emotional recovery.