What is a third-party negligence claim?
In a typical workers’ compensation case, there are usually two main parties – the injured worker and the employer who is bound by Florida state labor laws to compensate the injured employee. Sometimes, however, there is a third party – either a person or legal entity who is partially responsible for the construction accident and therefore liable for the injuries that the worker suffered as a result. Unlike with the injured worker’s employer, there are no laws in place that limit the damages owed by a third party who contributed to the injury-producing accident. Third-party negligence cases are most commonly seen when the work-related injury occurred at a construction site because so many people – foremen, contractors, subcontractors, engineers, safety consultants, property owners, heavy machinery maintenance companies, and others – have a potential partial duty to construction worker safety.
