If you're a coach or a teacher, you're in the business of helping people. However, sometimes this can require you to get help for yourself.
Here are some of the situations where a personal injury lawyer might be able to provide any legal help you need.
Injured on the Job
If you're injured on the job, workman's compensation might not be enough.
- Permanent Disability: if an injury you sustain on the job causes a permanent disability, you will likely need to file a personal injury lawsuit to seek damages that extend beyond your employment. For instance, if you slip and fall during a practice or school-related event and suffer a broken leg, you may need extensive physical therapy or you lose the ability to enjoy your favorite hobby. Although your employer might be willing to cover your initial medical bills, they might not cover long-term physical therapy or offer damages for quality-of-life issues related to your injury. A personal injury lawyer can assess the workman's compensation offered by your employer and look to seek compensation for gaps in the offer.
- Chronic Conditions: some work-related injuries don't register as injuries until after your employment ends. For instance, if your coaching or teaching duties required you to complete repetitive tasks, you might not realize that you've been injured on the job until a few years into your retirement. If your personal injury lawyer can link your chronic injury to your employment, you may be eligible for compensation. This compensation will be designed to cover your medical bills and any quality of life adjustments the chronic condition causes.
Injured and Let Go
Coaching and teaching require physical, emotional, and mental facilities that can be compromised by serious injuries.
- Non-Renewal: many coaching and teaching jobs are renewed annually. If you suffer a serious injury and your contract is not renewed, a personal injury lawyer can help support you in this. In many of these cases, written correspondences (emails, texts, and memos) can be used in court to show that your supervisor(s) linked an injury you sustained on the job to your job performance. If this link can be proven, your personal injury lawyer can argue that you were unlawfully terminated. They can seek lost wages, incurred medical expenses, and even lost retirement benefits. The key to making this type of litigation work is timing and documentation.
Contact a personal injury attorney for more information.
