When you’re injured on the job in Indianapolis, our Indianapolis personal injury lawyers can help you navigate workers’ compensation claims and pursue additional compensation through third-party lawsuits.

In the state of Indiana, 4 out of every 100 workers are injured or killed each year on the job. Within Indianapolis, hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers go to physically demanding jobs and jobs that have potentially dangerous and harmful conditions, especially if safety measures are not followed.

Workplace injuries often occur when working conditions are not regularly monitored for safety and compliance per standards of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) that are put in place to prevent injuries. When this happens, injured employees may be entitled to receive workers’ compensation, or work comp benefits. In certain cases, however, workers’ compensation may not be enough to cover the cost of damages. Additionally, if an employer is not liable for the accident, workers’ comp will not cover your injuries.

In such cases, you may be able to file a third-party workplace accident claim. This may be the case if your accident and resulting injuries were caused by someone other than your employer, such as a coworker, car or truck driver, manufacturer, or another party.

The Scope of Workplace Injuries in Indiana

Indiana workers face meaningful on-the-job risks across a broad range of industries, from construction and manufacturing to transportation and healthcare. According to the Indiana Department of Labor, approximately 66,400 Hoosier workers experienced a nonfatal OSHA-recordable injury or illness in 2023. More than half of those cases resulted in days away from work, job transfers, or restrictions that disrupted the injured worker’s income and daily life.

Behind every statistic is a person dealing with real physical harm, mounting medical bills, and uncertainty about their financial future. Workplace injuries range from fractures, lacerations, and back injuries to far more serious conditions, including catastrophic injuries such as traumatic brain injuries, spinal cord damage, and amputations. Regardless of the severity, injured workers in Indianapolis deserve to understand all legal options available to them, including avenues for compensation beyond workers’ compensation alone.

Workers’ Compensation vs. Third-Party Claims

Workers’ compensation is Indiana’s primary system for providing benefits to employees injured on the job. It generally covers medical expenses and a portion of lost wages regardless of fault, but it also limits the types of damages an injured worker can recover. Pain and suffering, for example, are not compensable under workers’ compensation, and wage-replacement benefits often fall short of a worker’s full earnings.

When the cause of a workplace accident involves someone other than the employer, a third-party personal injury claim may be available alongside or in addition to workers’ compensation. If a defective piece of equipment caused the injury, the manufacturer may be liable under Indiana product liability law. If a delivery driver was hit by another motorist while on the job, that driver’s negligence may give rise to a separate claim. Third-party claims open the door to a fuller range of damages, including compensation for pain and suffering, and can significantly increase the total recovery available to an injured worker.

Common Causes of Serious Workplace Accidents in Indianapolis

Indianapolis is home to a wide range of industries, and the hazards workers face vary considerably by job. Construction workers contend with fall risks, heavy machinery, and exposure to electrical hazards. Warehouse and manufacturing employees face risks from repetitive motion, equipment failures, and inadequate training. Truck drivers and delivery workers encounter serious dangers on the road every day. In each of these settings, employer or third-party negligence can turn a preventable situation into a life-altering injury.

Some of the most common causes of serious workplace accidents our attorneys see include falls from height, being struck by objects or equipment, caught-in or caught-between machinery incidents, exposure to toxic substances, and motor vehicle accidents during the course of employment. OSHA standards exist precisely to prevent these scenarios, and when employers fail to comply with them, injured workers may have a strong basis for a legal claim. Our attorneys investigate the conditions that led to the accident, including safety records, equipment maintenance logs, and employer compliance history, to build the most complete case possible.

When a Workplace Injury Results in Wrongful Death

Some workplace accidents are fatal, leaving families without a provider and without answers about what happened and who bears responsibility. Indiana law allows surviving family members to pursue a wrongful death claim when a worker is killed due to the negligence of an employer, a third party, or both. These claims can recover damages that workers’ compensation death benefits do not cover, including the full economic value of the deceased worker’s future earnings, the loss of care and companionship, and, in some cases, punitive damages when the conduct was particularly reckless.

Wrongful death claims arising from workplace accidents require a thorough investigation that often differs significantly from a standard personal injury case. Multiple parties may share liability, federal safety regulations may be relevant, and evidence at the worksite can be altered or destroyed quickly. Families who have lost someone in a job-related accident deserve aggressive, experienced legal representation from the outset. Our attorneys have handled these cases throughout Indianapolis and understand both the legal framework and the emotional weight these situations carry.

Workplace Accidents Involving Construction and Heavy Industry

Construction consistently ranks among the most hazardous industries in the country, and Indianapolis’s active development and infrastructure landscape means construction workers remain at elevated risk year after year. Falls, electrocutions, struck-by incidents, and caught-in accidents account for the majority of serious construction injuries and fatalities. When these accidents occur due to a general contractor’s failure to maintain a safe job site, a subcontractor’s negligence, or defective equipment, injured workers may have claims beyond the workers’ compensation system.

Heavy industry workers in the Indianapolis area, including those in manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing, face similar risks. Forklift accidents, conveyor and press machine incidents, chemical exposure, and inadequate safety training all contribute to serious injuries in these environments. Our attorneys work with safety consultants and industrial hygienists to investigate Indiana workplace accidents thoroughly and identify all parties whose negligence contributed to the harm. When the injuries are severe, the stakes are too high to rely solely on a workers’ compensation claim to provide for your family’s future.

What Is a Workplace Accident?

A workplace accident is any accident that occurs while a worker is carrying out duties within the scope of his or her employment. Despite the name, a workplace accident does not necessarily have to occur at your physical place of work in order for you to be eligible to file a claim. For example, if you are a delivery truck driver and you are hit by another motorist and injured while delivering goods for your employer, you may be able to file a third-party claim against the negligent driver. Or, if you are an office worker and you fall and break your wrist when a defective office chair collapses, you may be able to bring a claim against the manufacturer of the chair.

Our firm can help you evaluate your situation in order to determine if you have a claim. If so, our workplace accident attorneys in Indianapolis can help you fight for the full, fair compensation you are owed for your medical bills, lost income, and other losses.

Types of Workplace Accident Cases We Handle

With more than 150+ years of collective legal experience, our attorneys are well-versed in a wide variety of on-the-job injuries and workplace accident claims. We understand the complexities involved in these types of cases and can help you navigate the legal process from start to finish.

We have helped clients with all types of workplace accident claims, including those involving:

We handle both personal injury claims in Indianapolis on behalf of injured workers and wrongful death claims on behalf of surviving family members who have lost someone due to an on-the-job injury.

Trust Your Recovery to Wagner Reese

Our firm has been helping victims of negligence and unsafe working conditions throughout the city of Indianapolis for more than two decades. We offer contingent fees, meaning there is absolutely no upfront cost for you and you only pay our attorneys’ fees if and when we recover compensation for you. Our attorneys have successfully secured millions of dollars on behalf of our clients, all while offering personalized legal guidance and aggressive advocacy in trial. If you are unable to make it into our office, we can come to you, whether at home or in the hospital. We also offer Spanish translation services.

Contact Our Indianapolis Workplace Accident Lawyers

If you’ve been injured on the job in Indianapolis, don’t wait to get legal help. Contact us online or call (888) 204-8440 to schedule your free consultation with our workplace accident attorneys.