Winter is here. Unfortunately, winter weather conditions bring increased risk to State Highway Patrol Officers. The number of motor vehicle collisions involving State Highway Patrol Officers has risen in the last several years. A quick sampling of your colleagues will reveal that a significant number have been involved in collisions during their career, many of which resulted in ongoing injuries for which they never did anything about.
The attorneys at Meuser, Yackley & Rowland have represented hundreds of State Highway Patrol Officers who have been injured in motor vehicle accidents. A patrol officer injured in a collision must navigate different types of claims including workers’ compensation, PERA, healthcare continuation and claims against at-fault drivers. We are frequently advised by our patrol officer clients that they have been involved in prior collisions from which they have ongoing problems but never chose to pursue a claim or even seek medical treatment. Here are just some of the reasons why State Highway Patrol Officers do not protect their interests and pursue viable claims. Do any of these apply to you?
- The injury is not that bad.
- It goes with the territory.
- They don’t want to be placed on light duty.
- They don’t want to go through the hassle of filing a claim or meeting with an attorney.
The decision to not protect your interests and pursue a claim is too often based upon convenience as opposed to logic. Injuries that on their face appear to be minor can limit your ability to function and affect your everyday life particularly as time goes on. How many of your colleagues complain of pain and discomfort which they relate to an old injury often times the result of a motor vehicle collision?
Working as a State Highway Patrol Officer does not mean that you give up your legal rights. If you are injured while on duty, you are entitled to state mandated workers’ compensation benefits. If the collision is caused by a negligent driver, you are also entitled to compensation for the loss that will result over time. Pursuing a claim does not require that you be issued restrictions or placed on light duty. That is between you and your doctor.
You owe it to yourself to ensure that you receive appropriate medical treatment to address your injuries and receive the benefits to which you are entitled. In the end, the only one who is going to have to deal with the pain and discomfort will be you. Our patrol officers have honorably served their communities and made sacrifices that society will never know or understand. They should not have to deal with injuries sustained in the course and scope of their job on their own.
Meuser, Yackley & Rowland, P.A. has successfully represented State Highway Patrol Officers who, through no fault of their own, have been injured in a motor vehicle collision, or otherwise. If you have been involved in a collision or sustained an injury arising out of your work activities call us for a free, confidential consultation which can be done in person, by telephone or video conference. Call us today at 1-877-746-5680.