How Does Indiana’s Disability Discrimination Law Affect Personal Injury Claims?

Personal injury is a legal term that encompasses the physical, emotional, and financial harm caused by another party’s negligence. An accident can cause a person to sustain disabling injuries, which limit their ability to work and live comfortably. Indiana is one of the states in the United States that has enacted disability discrimination laws that protect people with disabilities from discrimination and harassment in the workplace. This article will explore how Indiana’s disability discrimination law affects personal injury claims.

Understanding Indiana’s Disability Discrimination Law

Indiana’s disability discrimination law is known as the Indiana Civil Rights Law. It states that employers with six or more employees cannot discriminate against employees or job applicants based on their disability. Disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities like walking, standing, seeing, hearing, speaking, breathing, and learning.

Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities unless doing so would impose an undue hardship on the employer. Examples of reasonable accommodations include making the workplace physically accessible to individuals with disabilities, modifying work schedules, providing a sign language interpreter, or allowing a service animal to accompany the employee at work.

How Indiana’s Disability Discrimination Law Affects Personal Injury Claims

Indiana’s disability discrimination law impacts personal injury claims when the injured party has a disability or suffers disabling injuries. The law prohibits employers from discriminating against employees based on their disability, including the employer’s treatment of the employee after an injury.

If an employee with a disability sustains injuries in a work-related accident, they are entitled to the same workers’ compensation benefits as non-disabled employees. Employers cannot use an employee’s disability as a basis for denying them workers’ compensation benefits or limiting the benefits provided.

Additionally, if an employer does not make reasonable accommodations for an employee with a disability who has sustained an injury, the employee can pursue a claim under the Indiana Civil Rights Law for failure to accommodate. For example, if an employee who uses a wheelchair sustains an injury and is no longer able to use a particular restroom in the workplace, the employer can be held liable if they fail to make the restroom accessible or provide an alternative.

Conclusion

Indiana’s disability discrimination law offers protections to disabled employees who sustain injuries in the workplace. Employers are required to make reasonable accommodations for employees with disabilities, and they cannot discriminate against disabled employees in the workplace. If you have a disability and have sustained injuries in a workplace accident, you may be entitled to workers’ compensation benefits and potential damages under the Indiana Civil Rights Law. It is important to seek the advice of an experienced personal injury lawyer to learn about your legal options and to ensure that your rights are protected.

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