Workplace shootings are an increasingly common occurrence in Los Angeles, affecting both high-end IT workers and ordinary retail staff. From the workers at YouTube’s California location, to more deadly incidents in the Los Angeles region, anyone who has been in the area of a workplace shooting may find that they are increasingly in need of psychotherapy and medical treatment in order to recover. If you have been unlucky enough to be a victim of a shooting in the workplace, then you may consider your employer to be responsible for your injuries, and want them to provide you with the compensation that you think you deserve.
Is Your Employer Liable?
At the moment, there are no nationwide or federal laws which regulate the actions firms must take in order to prevent shootings in the workplace, but there are other California laws mean that your employer must attempt to provide a safe environment in the workplace. This means that your working environment needs to be free from dangerous conditions and hazards, which anyone would consider a shooter to be. This means that you may have a righteous case against your employer, particularly if they have not taken proper care to ensure that you are protected against violent people including former colleagues and those who are a risk to the business. If you have suffered workplace violence at the hand of a gunmen, then you can consider ringing a lawsuit against your employer. However, due to OSHA laws, you may struggle to do so if your employer simply been negligent. You need to establish that they knew that the shooter posed a risk to their company and workers.
Seeking Compensation From Third Parties
Another option is to obtain compensation from a third party. This might be the shooter themselves, or someone who has help them to create the shooting. In most cases in the US, it is unlikely that the shooter has survived, and instead you will need to seek compensation from those around them who have failed to prevent workplace violence. You could sue your employer for failing to deal effectively with a fired employee who has made threats, someone who is known to be aggressive towards the company or a person who is allowed into the building despite being armed. You can also sue those around the gunmen, for example owners and parents, who have allowed the gunmen to carry out the shooting.
Deciding Who You Wish To Sue
The aftermath of workplace shootings is often very chaotic, and if you have been injured by gunfire you may not be in the best place to decide whether you should sue your employer or somebody else. In order to help you decide, you should reach out to ODG Law Group, who can assist you with clarifying your legal position and making sure that you seek compensation from the right people. To reach out to our team today, contact us online or call (818) 975-3080 now.
