Billings Workplace Injury Attorneys

Helping Injured Workers in Billings, MT

Workplace injuries can be devastating, leaving you with mounting medical bills and no way to earn a living. If you were injured on the job, you may be entitled to compensation for your medical expenses, lost wages, and more.

At Hoyt & Blewett PLLC, we are committed to helping injured workers and their families fight for the justice they are owed. Our Billings workplace injury lawyers have a proven track record of success, having recovered millions of dollars for our clients. We are prepared to put our extensive experience and resources to work for you.

Call (406) 233-1302 or contact us online today to schedule a free, no-obligation consultation with our team.

The Dangers of the Workplace

Workplace injuries can happen in various settings, but some environments are more prone to specific types of accidents due to the nature of the work involved. Here are some common workplaces where injuries frequently occur:

• Construction Sites: Construction sites pose various hazards, including falls from heights, machinery accidents, electrocutions, and being struck by falling objects.
• Manufacturing Plants: Workers in manufacturing face risks associated with heavy machinery, repetitive motions leading to musculoskeletal injuries, exposure to chemicals, and accidents involving assembly lines or equipment.
• Healthcare Facilities: Hospitals and healthcare settings expose workers to risks such as needlestick injuries, exposure to infectious diseases, patient handling injuries, and workplace violence.
• Warehouses and Distribution Centers: In these environments, employees are at risk of injuries related to heavy lifting, forklift accidents, slips and falls, and being struck by moving equipment.
• Agriculture and Farming: Agricultural work involves hazards like machinery accidents, exposure to chemicals and pesticides, repetitive strain injuries, and incidents involving large animals.
• Transportation and Delivery: Workers in transportation face risks associated with vehicle accidents, loading and unloading injuries, slips and falls during deliveries, and long hours leading to fatigue-related accidents.
• Office Environments: While generally safer, office settings can still lead to injuries due to slips, trips, and falls, ergonomic issues causing repetitive strain injuries (RSI), and workplace stress-related health problems.
• Retail Settings: Retail workers may experience injuries related to lifting heavy objects, slips and falls, workplace violence, and repetitive motions.
• Restaurants and Food Service: Workers in restaurants face burns, cuts, slips, and falls, often due to working with hot equipment, sharp tools, and wet surfaces.
• Mining and Extraction: These industries involve risks like cave-ins, exposure to toxic substances, equipment accidents, and hazards related to working underground.

Employers in these industries must prioritize safety measures, provide adequate training, and implement protocols to mitigate risks and ensure a safe working environment for their employees.

Types of Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries can occur in any industry and can range from minor to severe. In some cases, workplace injuries can be fatal. If you lost a loved one in a workplace accident, our firm can help you file a wrongful death claim.

Some of the most common types of workplace injuries include:

• Slip and fall injuries
• Repetitive motion injuries
• Overexertion injuries
• Crushing injuries
• Caught-in/between injuries
• Vehicle accidents
• Electrocution injuries
• Exposure to toxic substances
• Explosions and fires
• Equipment and machinery accidents
• Falling object injuries
• Assaults and acts of violence

Montana Workers' Compensation Laws

In Montana, workers' compensation laws are designed to provide benefits to employees who suffer injuries or illnesses due to their work.  Most employers in Montana are required to provide workers' compensation coverage. This includes full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers. Certain categories of workers, like independent contractors and some agricultural workers, might not be covered.

Some of the benefits offered by workers' compensation include:

• Medical Benefits: Workers' comp typically covers medical expenses related to the injury or illness, including doctor visits, hospitalization, medication, and rehabilitative services.
• Lost Wages: Injured workers may receive compensation for a portion of lost wages due to the inability to work.
• Permanent Disability: If the injury results in a permanent disability, the worker might be entitled to additional benefits based on the extent of the disability.

Employees must promptly report the injury to their employer. There are specific time limits within which an injury must be reported to be eligible for benefits. The employer or their insurer should provide claim forms. The employee needs to fill them out accurately and submit them to initiate the claims process.

Third-Party Claims

When an employee is injured on the job, they are typically entitled to workers' compensation benefits regardless of who was at fault for the injury. This coverage is provided by the employer's workers' compensation insurance. However, if someone other than the employer or a co-worker is responsible for the injury, the injured worker might have the right to file a separate lawsuit against that third party.

• Product Manufacturers or Distributors: If a faulty or defective product caused the injury, the manufacturer, distributor, or designer of that product might be held responsible.
• Subcontractors or Independent Contractors: If an employee of one company is injured due to the actions or negligence of a worker from another company while on the same job site, the other company might be considered a third party.
• Property Owners or Managers: In cases where the injury occurred on property owned or managed by a third party, such as slip and fall accidents on someone else's premises, the property owner or manager might be held liable.
• Drivers or Transportation Companies: If an employee is injured in a work-related vehicle accident caused by another driver or a transportation company, the at-fault driver or company could be considered a third party.
• Professional Service Providers: In some instances, if an injury occurs due to professional malpractice (such as a contractor or engineer's error leading to an accident), the service provider could be held liable.
• General Contractors: In construction projects, a general contractor might be held responsible for the safety of subcontractors' employees under certain circumstances.
• Vendors or Suppliers: If an injury is caused by faulty materials supplied by a vendor or supplier, they could be held liable.

Determining whether a third party is liable for an employee's injury can be complex and often requires a careful investigation of the circumstances surrounding the incident. In such cases, consulting with our team which is experienced in workers' compensation and personal injury law is essential to evaluate potential third-party liability.

If you have been injured in a workplace accident in Billings, MT, contact us today at (406) 233-1302 for a free consultation.