Do I have a workers compensation claim and if so how does it work with any general personal injury claim?

ANSWER: If your injury was "work related" then you may have a workers compensation claim. While we can provide some advice regarding such a claim, we would also encourage you to contact a workers compensation attorney who represents claimants in the workers compensation system which is different from the regular civil justice system. Your employer or its workers compensation insurance company also has a right to reimbursement, generally referred to as a subrogation right to recover any money it paid to you under the workers compensation system from any third party recovery you make in the civil justice system. The amount you have to repay is reduced by the insurance company's or employer's pro rata share of your attorney fees and costs and may be negotiable beyond that depending upon the amount of your recovery in the civil justice system. You should definitely look into a potential workers compensation claim in any accident related to your job as it may tide you over while your third party claim is pending in the civil justice system. Conversely, anyone with a workers compensation case should inquire into whether they may have other claims against third parties, such as the manufacturer of defective equipment that caused the injury.