What can I do if I was injured and want to get a settlement? 30 Answers as of November 10, 2011

It sounds like the person at fault is a co-worker of yours. Unfortunately, you were in the course of your employment and worker's compensation laws state that you cannot sue your employer or fellow employee for negligence. Your only avenue is worker's compensation. I suggest you call an experienced worker's compensation attorney in your area to find out your rights under the law and what you may be entitled to.

You can pursue a claim under the worker compensation rules. If your employer does not have coverage you can sue. If there was another car involved you can also sue the driver of the other car if they are at fault.

It may be that this is all you deserve meaning all that you are entitled to receive under the law. But what you want is more and for what you are receiving to more fully compensate you for the actual damages you have. Am I close? You do need to see a lawyer. The questions a properly trained lawyer will ask has to do with how much you're entitled to in the workers compensation case and whether anyone other than your co-employee was negligent. They should also focus on who owned the truck you were riding in at the time of the accident. You may have a case but no one has yet asked the right questions.

The best thing you can do in this situation is to hire a qualified attorney. Your limited factual presentation makes it clear that you have a tort claim and perhaps a workers compensation claim.

Because you were injured while at work, your only option is to file a worker's compensation claim.

Workers' compensation is your only remedy.

If you were injured while on the job as an employee, your sole source of compensation is usually the Department of Labor and Industries. RCW 51 (http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=51). You can start your claim on their website: http://www.lni.wa.gov/claimsins/claims/.

Normally, when you are injured at work, workers compensation is your exclusive remedy . The liability insurer for the truck or the employer will not be liable. You must seek a settlement in workers compensation from the workers compensation insurer.

If you are injured a co-employee by an accident within the course and scope of your employment, you have a workers compensation claim.

This is a WC claim, but it may be more. Irrespective, you need to deal with the WC claim first. WC will pay all your medical and pay you TTD while you cannot work. Once you have healed, you are entitled to a settlement through WC. If the accident was your co-worker's fault and your employer owned the van, you're done. If the accident was someone else's fault, you can sue the 3rd party, but you cannot get any money until WC is repaid for ALL amounts it paid. Any Workers' Compensation attorney should be able to analyze the situation for you. If the 3rd party claim is worth less than the WC claim, only the attorney and the WC insurance can get any money from the 3rd party action.