The University of Arkansas employs over a thousand faculty members and over 3,000 full-time staff. Many of these workers perform physical jobs, such as facilities management, grounds keeping, or work in kitchens and food service. These jobs and other jobs performed on campus often involve the risk of injury.
If you were injured on-the-job while working at the University of Arkansas, you may be unable to file a lawsuit for your injuries and will have to file a claim through Workers’ Compensation to get coverage for your medical bills and lost wages. Ken Kieklak is a University of Arkansas Workers’ Compensation attorney who represents injured workers and helps them file claims through Workers’ Compensation throughout Arkansas. For help with your case, call our law offices today at (479) 316-0438 to schedule a free legal consultation.
Suing the University of Arkansas for Workplace Injuries
Typically, the law in Arkansas limits your right to sue your employer for injuries. Instead, the law expects that you will file your workplace injury claim through Workers’ Compensation to seek coverage. You may be able to sue your employer if they do not have Workers’ Compensation insurance or if you work as a private contractor instead of an employee. However, additional laws also prohibit or limit most lawsuits against the U of A. In Arkansas, you cannot typically file a lawsuit against the government, which includes the University of Arkansas. Instead, Workers’ Compensation is typically the best way to get compensation for your injuries.
How to Get Compensation for Workplace Injuries in Arkansas
When you are injured at work, you may be able to file a workers’ comp. claim to get coverage for your injuries. Every employer is required to have workers’ comp. insurance and to pay you certain benefits for injuries related to your job. When you are injured at work, you file your claim through your employer – but working with an attorney can help you simplify the process and provide you with the help you need to make sure your claim is properly filed and accepted on the first filing.
When you file your claim, you must show that your injury or condition was related to your work to get workers’ comp. benefits. Typically, this means showing that the injury you sustained happened at work while you were performing your job duties. Injuries related to lifting and carrying are some of the most common workplace injuries, but so are injuries from cuts and scrapes, slip and falls, falls from heights, and injuries from heavy machinery. Auto accidents at work also frequently cause work-related injuries.
You may also file a claim for a condition you developed related to your job. This could include repetitive stress injuries or stress fractures related to your job as well as conditions like cancer, asbestosis, or other conditions that take a long time to set in. Many of these conditions are rare – especially for workers at a university – so talk to a lawyer about filing a claim for these conditions.
Workers’ Comp. Benefits for Injured University of Arkansas Employees
When you file your Workers’ Compensation claim, you should be entitled to two major areas of coverage: medical benefits and wage-loss benefits. By default, these benefits are usually paid on an ongoing basis to cover your medical bills and lost wages as they come up. However, you may be entitled to have all of these payments accelerated and paid all at once in a lump-sum as part of a Workers’ Compensation settlement. Talk to a lawyer about what benefits you are entitled to and whether a lump-sum settlement is right for you.
Medical Benefits
Injured workers may have expensive medical bills to pay for. If their injury occurred while working for their employer, it is only fair that the employer cover these costs. Typically, Workers’ Compensation benefits pay for medical bills related to the injury in full. This includes coverage for the emergency treatment after the injury as well as ongoing medical care costs if your claim is approved. These benefits can be ongoing and should cover all care costs approved by your primary physician. Typically, this doctor must be one that your employer or their insurance company approves, but that should not affect the quality of care you receive.
Wage-Loss Benefits
If your injury is severe enough to keep you from working, it is difficult to make ends meet. Fortunately, workers’ comp. also continues to pay wages to injured workers while they are out of work. Typically, these benefits do not cover your full wages, instead paying for 2/3 of your typical wages.
These benefits may last for a set, “scheduled” period of time based on the injury you receive. More severe injuries typically yield longer benefits because it is expected that your recovery will take longer and you will be unable to return to work for a longer period. Your ultimate award is usually measured in a number of weeks of wages.
If your injury involves permanent disability, you may be able to claim permanent benefits. Moreover, the death of a loved one from a workplace accident could justify ongoing death benefits for the surviving family.
Call Our Arkansas Workers’ Comp. Lawyer for Injured U of A Employees
If you were injured on the job at the University of Arkansas, talk to a lawyer about filing for Workers’ Compensation. Ken Kieklak, Attorney at Law, is a University of Arkansas Workers’ Compensation lawyer representing injured employees at the U of A and other workplaces throughout the State of Arkansas. For a free consultation on your work injury and workers’ comp. case, call our law offices today at (479) 316-0438.