Menu

Workers Compensation: Your Safety Net


About Me

Workers Compensation: Your Safety Net

You put your heart and soul into your job, so it seems only fair that you should be protected from harm while you’re there. Most good employers do go out of their way to provide safety training and equipment to keep their workers safe and protected from any hazards. Federal agencies, like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration, also have standards in place for employers to follow to keep their workers safe. However, sometimes accidents happen anyway, and when they do, workers compensation is meant to be your safety net. Most of the time, if you follow your company’s procedures for filing a workers compensation claim, you’ll be paid with no trouble. However, I know from experience that it isn’t always that easy. I started this blog to help you learn what to do when your company or their insurance company denies your workers compensation claim.

Latest Posts

Will Drafting — How A Lawyer Can Have A Positive Impact On This Process
19 May 2023

A will is something everyone needs to plan at some

Do You Need A Workplace Sexual Harassment Lawyer?
10 April 2023

If you feel you have been sexually assaulted in th

Unfairly Blamed For Causing A Motorcycle Accident
7 March 2023

Were you not only badly injured in a motorcycle ac

5 Reasons Hiring A Criminal Defense Lawyer Can Help A Case To Be Resolved In Your Favor
1 February 2023

Criminal defense attorneys provide a critical laye

How To Resolve A Car Accident Case Without Going To Trial
5 January 2023

Car accident cases are most often resolved with a

Defendant Doesn't Have Insurance? Three Signs You Can Still Collect Your Judgment

The defendant's ability to pay your settlement award, should you win, is an essential consideration when debating whether to instigate a personal injury lawsuit. There is no use wasting you and your lawyer's resources if the defendant is judgment proof (meaning there is no way you can collect the judgment from him or her).

It's easiest to collect the judgment from insured defendants, but this doesn't mean you only sue those who have relevant insurance coverage. There are other ways of collecting judgment, and they include these three:

The Defendant Is Employed

If the defendant is employed and earns regular wages, you can garnish them. Before you go ahead with the plan, however, there are a few things you need to know about wage garnishment:

  • The defendant's earnings must be above the poverty line.
  • State laws may prevent you from taking more than 25% of the defendant's wages.
  • Other creditors haven't started garnishing the same defendant's earnings.

If you have decided to go ahead with the garnishment, follow your jurisdiction's laws on how to handle the process. In many states, this involves notifying the sheriff or levying officer to initiate the process.

The Defendant Is Expecting Future Income or Property

It's also good to go ahead and sue if your defendant cannot settle his or her debts now, but may have the capability in the future. This is because the law allows you to collect judgments for many years. In fact, in most cases, you can renew the debts multiple times, which allows you to extend the collection period almost indefinitely. Moreover, you will also be entitled to the accrued interest.

Therefore, it still makes good sense to sue if your defendant has just graduated from college (raising his or her prospect of getting a job). The same is true if the defendant is waiting for probate to end to so he or she can inherit part of an estate (thereby gaining income or assets you can seize).

The Defendant Has Unprotected Property

If your defendant/debtor has property, petition the court to help you seize and sell it. However, this is only possible with unprotected property since there are others protected by state laws that any debtor cannot touch. Examples of protected properties include clothing, household electronics such as TV sets, and personal cars below a certain amount. On the other hand, most states allow you to seize real estate property (other than the debtor's principal dwelling) or money in a bank account.

To learn more, go to site resources and talk to a personal injury attorney.