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Law Offices of Bradley Dworkin
Phone: (800) 560-4878
Chicago, Illinois
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Workers Compensation
Lawyer
Illinois
Bradley Dworkin
"Third-Party" Claims
Above and beyond those rights guaranteed by the Illinois Workers'
Compensation Act, injured workers may also have substantial rights
under State and federal laws allowing for the recovery of monetary
damages from a "third-party," which is a party other than
the injured person's employer or its employees, who through negligent
activities may be responsible for a worker's injury. Manufacture
of defective or dangerous products, negligent operation of a motor
vehicle, carelessness, or violation of a state or federal statute
are examples of conditions that may create the possibility for a
"third-party" claim in conjunction with a workers' compensation
claim. "Third-party" claims generally provide monetary
damages that are greater in dollar amount than the workers' compensation
benefits that would be available for the same injury.
In order to determine whether a feasible "third-party"
claim exists, prompt investigation and thorough legal research are
necessary. Depending on the type of lawsuit and the identities of
those responsible for the conditions from which the "third-party"
claim arises, the time limits for filing a "third-party"
claim may be longer or shorter than those that apply to the workers'
compensation claim, even though the two cases are based upon the
same incident. The possibility that a "third-party" claim
could arise out of a work injury is another reason why injured workers
should promptly retain the services of an experienced law firm,
such as the Law Offices of Bradley S. Dworkin.
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