Philadelphia Firefighter Workplace Accident Lawyer
Knowledgeable Workplace Accident Attorneys Represent Injured Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Firefighters
Firefighters protect us every day by performing injury-risking and life-threatening tasks like entering a burning building to rescue a person, climbing ladders to get to people trapped in high places, or responding to motor vehicle accidents on busy highways. Although firefighters place themselves at risk of injury in the course of their duties, what happens when those injuries are caused by the intentional, reckless, or negligent acts of another party. For example, what happens if a firefighter is injured climbing broken stairs to respond to an emergency call in a walk-up apartment building.
Just because firefighters assume a certain degree of risk as a part of their job does not mean they are not entitled to pursue compensation for their injuries. There are several programs in place that allow injured Philadelphia firefighters to obtain compensation when they are injured in a workplace accident, such as Heart and Lung Act benefits or workers’ compensation benefits. In certain circumstances, an injured firefighter may also be entitled to seek compensation from a third party’s whose intentional acts or negligence causes injury to the firefighter. Ultimately, an injured firefighter may be able to receive compensation for losses such as medical expenses, lost wages, or pain and suffering.
The dedicated firefighter workplace accident attorneys of Marrone Law Firm, LLC take pride in helping injured Philadelphia firefighters. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to learn more about how our legal team can help you obtain the compensation you are entitled to.
Types of Compensation Available for Firefighter Workplace Injuries in Philadelphia
Like many other kinds of first-responders, Philadelphia firefighters are entitled to receive benefits under various programs if they are injured in a workplace accident while on duty. These programs include:
- Heart and Lung Act benefits: Heart and Lung Act benefits provide compensation in the form of full replacement of income to a firefighter whose injuries render him or her temporarily incapacitated from duty. However, eligibility for Heart and Lung Act benefits is much more strict than the standards for qualifying for ordinary workers’ compensation benefits.
- Workers’ compensation benefits: An injured firefighter may also be entitled to workers’ compensation from their employer. Unlike Heart and Lung Act benefits, workers’ compensation only provides partial wage replacement. Workers’ compensation does provide compensation for medical expenses and unlike Heart and Lung Act benefits are also available to provide compensation for permanent injuries.
Depending on the circumstances of a firefighter’s injury, they may also be entitled to pursue a personal injury claim for compensation from a third party whose intentional acts or negligence cause the firefighter’s injury. A personal injury claim may be legally viable when a firefighter is injured by:
- Motor vehicle accidents: Firefighters can suffer injuries in motor vehicle accidents caused by another driver’s negligence, whether the firefighter is driving or riding in a fire department vehicle while on duty, or whether the firefighter is on foot on the road, such as during a response to another motor vehicle accident.
- Premises liability: Firefighters can be injured by hazardous conditions on private property and may have a claim when those conditions are not part of the original emergency that the firefighter is responding to
- Defective products: Firefighters can be injured by defective products, whether the products are part of the fire department’s equipment that the firefighter uses or is a defective product that poses a hazard at the scene of an emergency that the firefighter responds to.
Contact Marrone Law Firm, LLC to have one of our knowledgeable workplace accident attorneys evaluate your case to determine what benefits may be available to you and whether you may also be entitled to pursue a personal injury lawsuit.
Workplace Accident Lawyers at Marrone Law Firm, LLC Fight to Protect the Rights of Injured Philadelphia Firefighters
The legal team of Marrone Law Firm, LLC fights to protect the rights of Philadelphia firefighters injured on the job. We strive to explore every available avenue for injury benefits or compensation in each of our clients’ cases by conducting a thorough evaluation of the facts and circumstances of our clients’ injuries. Injuries suffered by a firefighter can cause that firefighter to be out of work for an extended period and may cause the firefighter to incur significant expenses and loses. When a firefighter’s injury is caused by someone’s negligence or intentional or reckless acts, that firefighter should be entitled to hold that person or entity responsible for his, her, or its tortious conduct.
Contact the Experienced Workplace Accident Lawyers of Marrone Law Firm, LLC for Advice in Pursuing Compensation for Firefighter Injuries in Philadelphia, PA
At Marrone Law Firm, LLC, we understand that seeking compensation for injuries suffered in a firefighter workplace accident can be a complicated process due to the multiple options for compensation that may be available to an injured firefighter. Our legal team has the experience necessary to help you obtain the maximum compensation available to you. If are a firefighter who has suffered a workplace accident injury in the Philadelphia area, contact us today so that we can begin the process of fighting to get you fair and full compensation for your injuries.
Frequently Asked Questions About Firefighter Workplace Accidents
Firefighters can suffer many different kinds of serious injuries in the course of their duties, such as burns, broken bones, tendon and ligament damage, repetitive stress injuries, head trauma and traumatic brain injury, back and spinal cord injuries, and exposure to smoke and toxic substances.
Not every injury that a firefighter suffers on the job may give rise to a personal injury claim. There are various benefits that are available to a firefighter who is injured in the line of duty, recognizing the dangerous nature of serving as a firefighter. However, firefighters are still entitled to expect that members of the public will exercise due care and will not through their negligence increase the level of danger and risk that firefighters normally face.
The “fireman’s rule” says that a first-responder like a firefighter cannot bring a negligence claim when that negligence was responsible for bringing the firefighter to the scene of the emergency where he or she was injured. However, Pennsylvania law only applies the fireman’s rule in limited circumstances, recognizing that landowners owe firefighters the same duty of care as they would to any other person invited on the landowner’s property. The rule is not applied when the alleged negligence was separate from the incident that caused the original emergency to which the firefighter is responding.