Hurt at a Jobsite While Working for a Temp Agency...

by Lori
(Saint Louis, MO)

I work at a temp agency and got hurt at the job they sent me to.

While working the assembly line and sitting on top of the platform on a chair, I reached over and then fell backwards onto the chair, causing injuries to my neck, back, shoulder and genital area, as well as breaking my eyeglasses (the screw from the eyeglasses punctured an area near my eye).

Can I sue the jobsite, the temp agency or both?

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ANSWER for "Hurt at a Jobsite While Working for a Temp Agency...":

Lori (Saint Louis, MO):

Check with the company to see if they have workmans compensation insurance. If they do you should be covered. Make sure you report the injuries to the management of the company you were working for at the time you were injured. Report the injuries to the temp agency as well.

To have a valid claim against the company you will have to show you were injured. The injuries must be serious enough to require medical assistance.

You mentioned your suffered injuries to your neck, back, shoulder, genital area, and an area near your eye. The damage to your glasses is referred to as property damage.

Go to your local medical clinic, doctor or hospital. Have your injuries documented. If the doctors believe treatment will be beneficial, then follow their advice and get the treatment you need. Be sure to include the costs of repair or replacement of your eyeglasses.

A claim or a lawsuit can not be sustained without verification of injuries and verification of the medical bills incurred as a result of the treatment for those injuries. If your injuries aren’t severe enough to require medical treatment, your claim will not go very far.

Since laws change frequently and across jurisdictions you should get a personalized case evaluation from an attorney licensed in your state (if you haven't already). Find an experienced local attorney to give you a FREE personalized case review here.


Best of luck,

Law Guy