McMath Law Firm > Practice Areas > Accidents & Injury > Workplace Injuries

Workplace Injuries

Workplace injuries are particularly challenging because under Arkansas law, and the law of most states, an injured worker cannot bring a lawsuit against the employer, regardless of the employer’s negligence. With very few exceptions then, the employee’s only recourse relative to the employer is worker’s compensation, which typically is inadequate for serious injuries. 

However, serious work place injuries should be reviewed for possible third party claims by a firm with experience in such cases. Unfortunately, many lawyers who focus on worker’s compensation claims will overlook potential third party claims. Such claims can involve the employer’s employer, a property owner where work is being performed, other contractors on the job, and suppliers of materials, machines, equipment and tools. Such instances turn a work place injury into a defective product case, or a case involving inadequate safety management. 

When reviewing a workplace injury, McMath Woods will normally refer the worker’s compensation claim out to a lawyer whose practice is focused on handling those claims, while reviewing the facts and circumstances for any possible third party suit or exception to the employer immunity rule.

Below are summaries of workplace injury cases the firm has handled.

The Estate of Jerry Matthew Johnson v. First Electric Cooperative Corporation, et al

The family of Matt Johnson won a $3.65 million verdict resulting from the electrocution of Matt on a billboard in Benton, AR in 2005. (more here)  Matt was a great young man who was electrocuted while trying to change the sign on a billboard.  Bruce McMath, Will Bond, and Sam Ledbetter represented the family in the case.