I need some advice. At work, someone accidentally knocked over three pallets of glass bottles filled with beer. While I was helping pick up the mess, one of the cases opened, and all the bottles fell out. Because they were pressurized from the fall, one of the bottles exploded and hit my right eye. I ended up needing emergency surgery, and the glass cut my iris, which required six stitches.
I’m still on leave for about another four weeks, and my vision is pretty bad right now. I can see out of the eye, but it’s blurry, and it’s super sensitive to light. The doctor told me I’ll need glasses, and that this is a lifelong injury.
So my question is, can I sue my job for the damage to my eye? Before this accident, my right eye had perfect vision. I’m also facing financial struggles since workers’ comp only pays 60% of my wages. A coworker suggested I should consider suing.
Aint a lawyer, but definitely call an attorney ASAP. Workers’ comp can screw you over way more than medical bills, and that injury could leave you disabled. You need to make sure you get the compensation you deserve.
Workers’ compensation is usually the only way to go after your employer for this kind of injury. There are a few rare exceptions that probably don’t apply here, but it’s definitely worth talking to a personal injury attorney in case there’s another party involved.
And make sure to follow all the treatment recommendations …
If the person who knocked over the glass isn’t an employee, you might be able to sue that person. You can collect workers’ comp and also go after the other person’s insurance outside of that.
It might be a bit of a stretch, but if there was a defect in the bottling, you could consider suing the product manufacturer for product liability. Just throwing out some ideas for ways to get compensation beyond workers’ comp
In most states worker’s comp is the only remedy available against your employer for workplace injuries. But if you aren’t getting a good offer from WC, you should consult an attorney.