Lafayette Workers' Compensation Lawyers

• Tens of thousands of workers every year are badly hurt in Indiana cities like Lafayette, but they should be eligible to receive certain benefits for injuries and illnesses that arise out of their employment.
• While workers’ compensation claims are the chief means of financial recovery for injured Lafayette employees, personal injury or third-party cases may be possible when outside parties are involved.
• To get the most for your Lafayette work injury or illness, reach out to Hensley Legal Group, PC, which has had proven success with major injury cases, like a $25 million verdict* for a collision with an ambulance.

*SPECIFIC CASE RESULTS. NO TWO CASES ARE EXACTLY ALIKE.

Lafayette is the seat of Tippecanoe County and home to a number of major employers in the automotive, food, and pharmaceutical sectors, like Subaru of Indiana Automotive, Caterpillar, Evonik, Primient, and Wabash National, the world’s largest manufacturer of semi-trailers.

Regardless of how big or small your Lafayette workplace is, though, disaster could strike when you least expect it, and the risks you face might actually be getting worse. In fact, Indiana recorded approximately 69,000 work injuries and illnesses in 2024, a 3.92-percent increase over the previous year.

Fortunately, multiple avenues of recovery could be open to you if you get hurt on the job in Lafayette, IN, including a workers’ compensation claim, a personal injury case, or both. Yet no matter what path you ultimately take, you can improve your chances of reaching the finish line if you become one of the many Hoosiers every day who choose to hire Hensley Legal Group, PC, a dedicated Indiana personal injury law firm whose experienced attorneys have been fighting on behalf of the wrongfully injured since 1998 and securing such noteworthy results as:

• A $25 million verdict* for a collision with an ambulance.
• An $8 million claim resolution for a delivery truck crash.
• A $4.25 million settlement for a pedestrian accident.

Achievements like these have earned Hensley recognition as one of the Best Law Firms in the United States by Best Lawyers®, while its attorneys have earned inclusion in the Million Dollar Advocates Forum, Super Lawyers, America’s Top 100 Attorneys, and the National Trial Lawyers’ lists of the Top 100 Trial Lawyers and the Top 40 Under 40.

To learn how our firm can make a difference for you and your loved ones at this difficult time, schedule a free case review with a seasoned Lafayette workers’ compensation attorney by calling us at (317) 472-3333, chatting with us online, or filling out our contact form now.

*SPECIFIC CASE RESULTS. NO TWO CASES ARE EXACTLY ALIKE.

What Is Workers’ Compensation?

Your primary means of financial recovery after a work accident in the Lafayette area is workers’ compensation, a system of benefits that an employee in Indiana may be eligible to receive when an injury or illness arises “out of or in the course of employment.” These benefits are typically administered by the employer’s work comp insurance company or sometimes directly by the employer.

The three most common workers’ compensation benefits in Indiana are:

• Medical Benefits – Treatment for a work injury or illness must be covered by the employer and/or its insurance carrier (though some procedures and regimens may have to be approved in advance).
• Temporary Total Disability (TTD) Benefits – Payments that are equivalent to two-thirds of an employee’s average weekly wages may be made for as long as the employee is either medically ordered off work entirely or given work restrictions that the employer can’t accommodate.
• Permanent Partial Impairment (PPI) Benefits – There may be a PPI settlement or recurring PPI benefit payments when an employee is unable to return to his or her former profession (or a “Permanent Total Disability” (PTD) benefits package if an employee can’t work in any capacity).

Other benefits that might be applicable include:

• Vocational Benefits – A claimant may have the opportunity to undergo training for a new career when the old career isn’t feasible anymore.
• Death Benefits – If an employee dies as a consequence of a work injury or illness, surviving family members may be awarded benefits that could alleviate the economic impact of that death.

While getting these and any other benefits to which you may be entitled can be a challenge, particularly in the wake of a serious injury, our knowledgeable Lafayette workers’ compensation lawyers are incredibly adept at navigating the complexities of the workers’ comp claims process.

How to Obtain Workers’ Compensation Benefits

Because Indiana has a no-fault workers’ compensation system, claimants usually don’t have to argue that their employers caused their injuries in order to qualify for benefits, and employers can’t fire them just for making claims, although they aren’t shielded from being fired for other reasons.

All of these rights do come with some obligations, however, including the obligation to inform your boss, foreman, or supervisor about your work injury or illness promptly. Since your application for benefits could be rejected if you fail to do so within 30 days, it’s critical to give verbal and written notice as soon as you can.

Aside from letting your employer know that were harmed on the job, you also have up to two years to file an “Application for an Adjustment of Claim” with the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board. Though this step isn’t mandatory, it could offer substantial legal protections for your claim along with a venue for addressing disputes, like a dispute about whether you’re really permitted to file a workers’ compensation claim – and the truth is that you might not be.

For example, injuries you suffer when you’re off the clock or away from the workplace, such as during your commute, probably won’t garner benefits, and neither will injuries you sustain when you’re engaged in horseplay, drunk, breaking the law, or doing anything other than your job.

Moreover, Indiana reserves workers’ compensation benefits for traditional employees, an exclusion that can leave so-called “independent contractors” out in the cold if they’re injured while doing work for a client or a customer rather than an employer.

But if you find yourself locked out of the state’s workers’ compensation system, our team of tenacious attorneys might still be able to get you compensated with a Lafayette personal injury case.

Do You Have Grounds for a Personal Injury Case?

Indeed, even though a workers’ compensation claim is the most frequent method of fiscal recovery for a work injury in Lafayette, you may have grounds for a personal injury or third-party case if you get injured by someone with whom you have no employment relationship.

This is often the case if you get injured on a construction site, where multiple parties who don’t employ you or work for the party employing you could share responsibility, like the property owner or developer, the general contractor, and various contractors and subcontractors. Similarly, the driver or owner of a non-work vehicle could be liable if you are injured in traffic while you’re while performing the duties of your job.

A personal injury case can present some distinct advantages that a workers’ compensation claim might not because it isn’t curbed by certain aspects of your employment that might otherwise limit the funds available to you, like your salary. As such, it could put more money in your pocket than a workers’ compensation claim might. Additionally, you might be able to pursue a personal injury case AND a workers’ compensation claim at the same time, thereby significantly expanding your legal options.

Nonetheless, the workers’ compensation insurer will likely demand to be reimbursed out of any verdict or settlement you get for your Lafayette personal injury case, and you’ll be further required to demonstrate fault on the part of a defendant, who may insist that YOU were the one at fault.

Although this could reduce your own level of compensation or doom your personal injury case altogether, you can overcome these obstacles and protect your access to other benefits by partnering with the Lafayette workers’ compensation lawyers at Hensley Legal Group, PC.

How Hensley’s Lafayette Workers’ Compensation Attorneys Can Help

Once retained, our Lafayette workers’ compensation attorneys will file a valid claim with the Indiana Workers’ Compensation Board within the time allotted by law as well as carry out a comprehensive investigation into the origins of your Lafayette work injury. If any outside parties appear to have contributed to that injury, our firm may launch a third-party case against them too, then move swiftly to amass irrefutable proof of their wrongdoing.

Every work injury or illness is unique, but you can always count on our Lafayette workers’ compensation lawyers to litigate any work-related injury claim you have to the fullest degree while squaring off against stubborn insurance adjusters and serving your interests at every turn.

And if you are concerned about committing to more expenditures after spending so much already, you should be aware that our firm operates on a contingency basis, so you won’t owe us anything unless your case is brought to a favorable conclusion.

You have enough to deal with at the moment simply recovering from your work injury or illness. Let Hensley’s Lafayette workers’ compensation attorneys deal with recovering the resources you need to do it in whatever way makes the most sense under circumstances.

Our Lafayette Workers’ Compensation Lawyers Will Be Here for You

Hensley Legal Group has been standing up for the hardworking men and women of Indiana for more than a quarter century. If you are struggling to get back to normal after a devastating injury in a Lafayette workplace, our Lafayette workers’ compensation lawyers will be here for you.

Please call us at (317) 472-3333, chat with us online, or fill out our contact form for a complimentary consultation with an accomplished Lafayette workers’ compensation attorney at our firm.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is workers’ compensation?

Workers’ compensation is a system of benefits that employees in states like Indiana should be eligible to receive for their work injuries and illnesses.

However, Indiana workers’ compensation benefits are generally reserved for traditional employees, meaning that independent contractors may be excluded from making claims for injuries incurred while doing work on behalf of clients and customers rather than employers.

Do I have to prove somebody else was at fault for a work accident?

Indiana has a no-fault workers’ compensation system, so you usually don’t have to argue that your employer or someone else was at fault for a work accident in order to qualify for benefits.

As long as a work injury or illness arises “out of or in the course of employment,” you should have grounds for a workers’ compensation claim, but benefits may be denied if you aren’t a traditional employee or if you were hurt while doing something other than the duties of your job.

What are common workers’ compensation benefits in Indiana?

The most common benefits are medical treatment, payments to make up for lost wages while the claimant can’t work, and a compensation package in the event of permanent disability.

Additional benefits may be available in certain circumstances too, such as vocational training when a claimant can’t return to his or her old job or death benefits for surviving family members when a work injury or illness is fatal, among others.

How long do I have to establish a workers’ compensation claim?

Indiana law requires you to notify your employer about your work injury or illness within 30 days, ideally verbally and in writing.

You also have up to two years to file an “Application for an Adjustment of Claim” with the Indiana Worker’s Compensation Board, which isn’t mandatory but could offer substantial legal protections as well as a venue for addressing disputes.

Can I pursue a personal injury case for a work injury in Lafayette?

While workers’ compensation claims are the chief means of recovery for work injuries in Lafayette, a personal injury case may be possible for a work injury caused by an outside party.

In some instances, you may be able to pursue both a personal injury case and a workers’ compensation claim simultaneously, although you may want to discuss the matter with a knowledgeable Lafayette workers’ compensation lawyer before making any decisions.