Trucking Accidents

Being the driver of a large, commercial truck is one of the riskier professions that there is. In fact, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) reports that there are approximately 5,360 large truck fatalities each year, with large truck occupants comprising 23 percent of these fatalities. For truck drivers who are injured on the job (and for the families of those truckers who are involved in fatal accidents), workers’ compensation benefits are available to provide some financial relief.

Common Truck Driver Injuries

Truck drivers are not just at risk of injuries that are incurred in collisions, but also injuries related to lifting cargo, being struck by an object, or even falling. OSHA (the same source cited above) states that some of the most common truck driver injuries are derived from transportation incidents, contact with object incidents, falling, and overexertion, and include bruises, sprains and strains, fractures, cuts and lacerations, soreness and pain, and multiple traumatic injuries. Robbery can also be a threat for truck drivers.

Are Truck Drivers Covered by Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

Those who are injured while working often have questions about how their injuries will be paid for, and whether or not they will receive compensation for their lost wages if they have to take time off of work to heal.

Because the schedules and duties of truck drivers are controlled by the trucking companies for which they work, most truck drivers should be classified as employees, not as independent contractors. As such, trucking companies are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance. This means that if you are a truck driver who is injured while working, you can file a claim for workers’ compensation benefits. This insurance not only pays for the full extent of your necessary and reasonable medical expenses but also provides lost wages/disability benefits in many cases (depending upon how many days you must miss from work, the extent of the harm you have suffered, etc.).

Recovering the Benefits You Deserve

Unfortunately, truck drivers are often misclassified as independent contractors and may be denied workers’ compensation benefits as such. When this happens, an injured worker will need an experienced Rockford workers’ compensation attorney on their side who can help them to fight back and get the benefits they are entitled to. If another party was responsible for the accident that left you with injuries, our attorneys can also help you to bring forth a third party liability suit for damages. Third-party liability suits allow you to recover economic and noneconomic benefits, such as pain and suffering.

Call the Offices of Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. Today

If you are a truck driver who has been injured at work, you deserve to be compensated for your medical expenses and lost wages. To learn more about your options and how to maximize your workers’ compensation settlement, call the Rockford workplace injury attorneys at the offices of Brassfield & Krueger, Ltd. today. Our law firm will work hard on your behalf.