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Police Officer LOD
Being injured by a drunk driver, a negligent driver or in any other manner while in the line of duty, is not "part of the job." Police officers hold a uniquely dangerous job – and the likelihood of accidents and injuries is extremely high in their line of work. Yet many police officers aren’t aware of their rights when an accident on the job causes serious injury.
Police officers have the same rights as every other citizen in Nebraska. Although being injured in the line of duty is a risk associated with police work, police officers are not volunteers or Good Samaritans. You have the right to be paid for the hours you work and to be paid extra for overtime. The law also provides that if you are injured, you are entitled to workers' compensation benefits. The law further provides that in the event you are hurt due to a drunk or negligent driver you are entitled to be compensated for the past and future pain that workers' compensation doesn’t cover. That money can be recovered from the person who hurt you, his or her insurance company, or both.
If you are a police officer who has suffered an injury on the job, you have already faced more challenges than many people see in a lifetime. You don’t need the added burden of worrying about how you will pay for necessary medical treatment – or how your family will survive if you can no longer work. As a Police Officer, you have the right to be compensated.
As an officer of the law, you defend the rights of the public every day – let us defend your rights to fair compensation for your injuries. Call Dyer Law toll free at 1-888-393-7529 or contact us via email. We're ready to help with a free initial consultation. We handle claims anywhere in Nebraska, including Omaha, Lincoln, Bellevue, Grand Island, Kearney, Hastings, North Platte, Norfolk, Columbus, Scottsbluff, Ogallala and Offutt Air Force Base.
Mike Dyer of Dyer Law understands the challenges police officers face – because he used to be one. A native of Long Island, Mr. Dyer worked for four years as a New York City police officer before a work-related injury prompted his early retirement from the police force. After relocating to Omaha, Nebraska in 1987, he studied law and established his practice to help victims of vehicle and work-related accidents. His experience and dedication give him a unique perspective on police officer accidents – enabling him to advocate tirelessly on behalf of officers injured in the line of duty.
While many officers understand the principle of workers' compensation, not everyone knows what is or isn’t covered – or what other legal options are available when a third party is responsible for the injury.
If an officer is hurt while performing his or her job, that injury is covered by workers' compensation. Virtually any injury suffered on the job is covered. In order to receive Worker’s Compensation, however, you must follow certain steps to properly file a claim.
- Report the injury to your superior as soon as you possibly can – otherwise, any subsequent claims may be denied.
- Seek medical treatment right away – if you wait to see a doctor, thinking your injury might get better on its own, you’re actually hurting your rights to future claims. Workers' compensation claims require concrete documentation of your injury, and the best proof is medical documentation provided by a doctor’s report of treatment.
- Know which doctor you can see – many workers' compensation plans have rules dictating specific doctors you can see for work-related injuries. Police officers are not typically bound by the same obligations and can see a doctor of their own choosing. However, if you participate in a managed care plan, you may have to seek treatment from a doctor within that program. Make sure that the doctor you see is one you feel comfortable with for future treatment, as changing physicians is difficult in the midst of a workers' compensation claim.
Once your doctor has determined that you have recovered as much as possible, the doctor will assess whether you have suffered any degree of impairment, entitling you to additional benefits. If your injury has caused permanent damage to your ability to perform your job, a review known as a Loss of Earnings Evaluation may be done – and you may be assigned a vocational rehabilitation specialist to help find you new employment.
If your injury was caused by a drunk or otherwise negligent driver, a perpetrator attempting to resist arrest, or any other negligent individual with whom you interacted as part of your job, you may have additional legal options. You may be able to file a claim against the insurance company for the individual responsible for your injuries. In fact, you may be able to file both a workers' compensation claim and a claim against the third party’s insurance company.
Some police officers are reluctant to file both types of claims because they don’t want to add financial burden to their own workers' compensation carrier. However, the workers' compensation insurance carrier has a right to be paid back – by the insurance company of the person who caused you harm. So when you file both types of claims, you receive the immediate benefits necessary to pay for medical treatment via workers' compensation, and the third-party claim benefits will pay back workers' compensation and provide you with benefits you may need down the road.
If your injury was caused by a car accident with an underinsured or uninsured driver, you may also be able to file a claim with your own insurance company if you opted to keep underinsured or uninsured motorist coverage on your own vehicle’s policy.
Mike Dyer and the other lawyers at Dyer Law have extensive experience handling police officer accident cases. Click here to read the complete article on police officer work injuries. We’ve represented injury victims throughout Nebraska, including Douglas, Sarpy, Cass, Buffalo, Hall, Lincoln and Lancaster Counties – and we’re ready to help you. Dyer Law offers prospective clients an initial case evaluation for FREE in person or over the phone. Contact us seven days a week by calling 1-888-393-7529 or via email.
Additional Information
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- Nebraska Vehicle Accident Statistics
- Nebraska Motorcycle Accidents
- Nebraska Alcohol-Related Traffic Accidents
