[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/should-you-see-a-lawyer-if-youre-hurt-in-a-fight-at-work\/#Article","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/should-you-see-a-lawyer-if-youre-hurt-in-a-fight-at-work\/","headline":"Should You See a Lawyer If You’re Hurt in a Fight at Work?","name":"Should You See a Lawyer If You’re Hurt in a Fight at Work?","description":"You\u2019re understandably furious. Through no fault of your own, you were hurt in a fight at work. After x-rays at the emergency room, you learn you\u2019ve broken your arm. Your employer refuses to pay for treatment. What happens now? More than likely, you\u2019re not just worried about your medical care. Should you apply for state… Continue reading Should You See a Lawyer If You’re Hurt in a Fight at Work?<\/span><\/a>","datePublished":"2019-07-08","dateModified":"2024-07-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/author\/dmlawyer\/#Person","name":"Dan T. Matrafajlo","url":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/author\/dmlawyer\/","identifier":1,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cd7921c278b5fce01aa11ff8757760e046d90270e00964f697cbd173dee30a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/4cd7921c278b5fce01aa11ff8757760e046d90270e00964f697cbd173dee30a0?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Beninato & Matrafajlo Attorneys Law LLC.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/logo.png","url":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/logo.png","width":366,"height":74}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/bigstock-Side-View-Portrait-Of-Angry-F-270694090.jpg","url":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/bigstock-Side-View-Portrait-Of-Angry-F-270694090.jpg","height":5504,"width":8256},"url":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/should-you-see-a-lawyer-if-youre-hurt-in-a-fight-at-work\/","about":["Work Injury","Workers Compensation"],"wordCount":613,"articleBody":"You\u2019re understandably furious. Through no fault of your own, you were hurt in a fight at work. After x-rays at the emergency room, you learn you\u2019ve broken your arm. Your employer refuses to pay for treatment. What happens now?More than likely, you\u2019re not just worried about your medical care. Should you apply for state disability benefits? Like many New Jersey residents, you live paycheck to paycheck. How in the world will you pay for your rent and food?On the one hand, you figure your injuries occurred while you were at work. On the other, you\u2019re not sure what the fight has to do with your employment. Actually, the latter is the reason your boss refuses to take care of you.Here\u2019s something you need to consider. You and your employer don\u2019t necessarily have the same interests. You absolutely need to see a lawyer to review your rights. There\u2019s a chance you\u2019re entitled to workers\u2019 compensation benefits.Under New Jersey law, this doesn\u2019t just mean paying for an authorized doctor and other medical treatment. You could be entitled to up to seventy percent of your weekly wages. Additionally, some injuries qualify for a portion of partial or total permanent disability benefits.A recent New Jersey case actually dealt with work-related injuries arising out on altercation at work. You may benefit from reading the court\u2019s ruling in the matter.Was He Hurt in a Fight at Work?The court in Bhut v. Shapes refers to the encounter between two co-workers as an altercation. Some say fights and altercations are consistent terms. Both suggest angry disputes. Meanwhile, neither necessarily accounts for horseplay, which also comes into play in some work-related accidents.In the Bhut matter, the petitioner (used to describe injured workers) filed a claim for injuries at work. His employer, Aluminum Shapes (the respondent) denied the petitioner\u2019s accident as an on the job injury.The incident that caused the injuries actually happened in the area of a locker room. Arvind worked as a technician in a manufacturing plant. When Arvind first entered the locker room, he testified his co-worker had his feet elevated and refused to move them.To get past the other employee, Arvind says he jumped over the other employee\u2019s feet. He became tangled but wasn\u2019t injured at this point.Meanwhile, the co-worker provided a different version of the same incident. Both seemed annoyed and ultimately encountered each other in another area away from the location of the manufacturing machines.The two passed by in a small hallway. Arvind thought his co-worker planned to push a pizza box in his direction and attempted to avoid contact. Meanwhile, the other employee felt attacked when Arvind inadvertently knocked off his hat.Ultimately, the two employees wound up on the ground. Ultimately, Arvind hurt his shoulder and required medical treatment and time off from work.In reviewing the claim, the workers\u2019 compensation judge pointed out that compensable accidents require employees to be engaged in fulfilling their work duties. Activities incidental to employment are also considered eligible for workers\u2019 compensation benefits.The court ruled that the incident causing Arvind\u2019s claim had a causal connection to his employment. Therefore, this particular altercation represented a reason the insurance company needed to pay him.Contact UsHurt at work? Discuss the circumstances of your accident with an experienced workers\u2019 compensation attorney. At the Law Offices of Beninato & Matrafajlo, we cannot charge you for meeting with us. In fact, it\u2019s up to the judge to award attorneys\u2019 fees at the end of your case. Contact us to discuss your injuries and work-related claim."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Should You See a Lawyer If You’re Hurt in a Fight at Work?","item":"https:\/\/staging-dmlawyer2.wordkeeper.net\/should-you-see-a-lawyer-if-youre-hurt-in-a-fight-at-work\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]