Pittsburgh Third Party Work Injury Lawyer

After a workplace injury, it is easy to assume that a workers’ compensation claim is your only option, and in some cases, that is true. But when someone other than your employer (or a coworker hired by your employer) plays a role in causing your injury, you may have the ability to pursue a separate claim against that party. A Pittsburgh third-party work injury lawyer can help you determine whether that avenue exists in your situation and what it might mean for your recovery.

At Berger and Green, our personal injury attorneys have spent more than 40 years helping injured people throughout the area find relief and compensation after a serious accident. We take the time to understand what happened, who was involved, and what legal options are available to you.

When Does a Workplace Injury Open the Door to a Third-Party Claim?

Workers’ compensation covers medical bills and a portion of lost wages, but it does not cover everything that you might be entitled to in a personal injury claim. Pain and suffering, for example, falls outside the scope of what workers’ compensation provides.

A third-party work injury claim is a personal injury claim filed not against your employer, but against a separate party whose negligence contributed to your accident. It can run alongside a workers’ compensation claim as a supplemental source of recovery, or serve as a standalone path if workers’ compensation does not apply to your situation. Potentially responsible parties can include:

• Property owners who failed to maintain safe conditions at a job site
• Equipment or tool manufacturers whose defective products caused an injury
• Subcontractors whose workers created a hazardous situation on the site
• Drivers of vehicles who caused accidents on or near a work site
• Maintenance or cleaning companies whose negligence left dangerous conditions behind
• Engineers or architects whose design decisions created an unreasonable risk

A careful review of all the circumstances surrounding the accident helps determine the right defendant. Our lawyers take on that investigation so you can focus on getting better.

Situations Where a Third Party May Share Responsibility for Your Injury

Third-party liability can arise in a wide range of workplaces, and the common thread is that someone outside your employment acted carelessly in a way that put you in harm’s way.

Defective Tools and Equipment

Defective tools and equipment are among the most frequent sources of these claims. When machinery malfunctions due to a design flaw or manufacturing error, the company responsible may be liable regardless of whether your employer knew about the defect.

Dangerous Property Conditions

Dangerous property conditions present another common scenario. If you were injured on someone else’s property while performing work, the owner may have failed to warn you about known hazards or correct dangerous conditions, and that failure could form the basis of a claim.

Negligent Drivers

Negligent drivers are a source of liability that gets overlooked. Workers near roadways face real risks from drivers who are distracted or speeding, and a personal injury claim against such a driver may be pursued separately from any workers’ compensation matter.

Toxic or Hazardous Substance Exposure

Toxic or hazardous substance exposure is another avenue worth examining. If a third-party vendor or contractor introduced a dangerous substance into your work environment without proper warnings, that party may bear responsibility for the resulting harm.