Postal Workers’ Perils — Paybacks Can be Hell
While the term “going postal” has become an accepted part of the American lexicon, a far more frequent occurrence is when dangerous dogs “go postal” on mail delivery personnel.
In addition to being exposed to extremes of hot, cold, sleet, hail, rain, and other weather dangers, mail carriers frequently confront dangerous animals and suffer the consequences.
Having represented a number of postal delivery workers who were attacked by dangerous and unsecured dogs, Herndon Virginia injury lawyer Doug Landau notes that these brave federal employees suffer a “double whammy.”
First, they are subject to the federal Bureau of Labor workers’ compensation program. This administrative law system is often slow, pays minimal benefits, and is unable to fully and fairly settle cases, unlike what is seen in the state workers’ compensation system.
Furthermore, the personnel at the Bureau of Labor tasked with helping injured postal workers are often slow, overworked, ill-trained, and unable to make decisions that would compromise the claim in its entirety.
In addition to not being able to settle federal workers’ compensation claims, ever, the federal workers’ comp “claims handlers” will be there at the end of a dog attack case with a big “IOU.”
In other words, not only will the federal workers’ comp adjusters make the injured worker wait, and delay benefits that should be paid promptly after a dog bite on the job. However, whenever the injured postal delivery worker goes to settle his or her negligence case against the homeowner whose dog caused the harm, the federal comp claims people will wave their IOUs and expect full payment.
That is why it is critical to get an experienced lawyer who handles not only negligence and personal injury cases (including dog bite cases), but also a trial lawyer who actually goes to court for his or her clients and wins workers’ compensation claims.
Northern Virginia worker’s comp and personal injury lawyer Doug Landau notes, “because we know going in that the federal workers’ comp claims people do not have the ability to assess the value of the comp claim nor do they have the ability to settle such claims, and they expect to be paid back from any negligence case or third party verdict based upon a federal formula, we have had success in getting good results for our postal workers’ injury claims, and then taking care of the payback provisions when presented with the government’s IOUs.”
If you or someone you know is a postal employee who has been injured on the job from a dog bite or other animal attack and there are questions as to what laws apply, email or call Abrams Landau, Ltd. at once (703-796-9555).