In Rhode Island, there is no honest single "average," but work-crash cases with only workers' comp exposure are usually worth far less than cases that also include a third-party injury claim. A modest third-party vehicle case might land in the $20,000 to $100,000 range; serious brain, spine, or surgery cases can jump to six or seven figures.

So yes, what the boss is saying may be a trap.

If your husband was hurt while working, workers' comp is usually the only claim against his employer because of the exclusive remedy rule. That part is real. But that rule usually does not protect some other negligent person or company - like the driver who hit him, a food truck operator, a road-rage shooter, a property owner, or a vehicle manufacturer.

The follow-up question you should be asking is: Who besides the employer caused this?

That is where the real money usually is.

If he was riding or driving for work in Newport during spring or summer traffic and another driver failed to yield, turned across him, or plowed into him near heavy tourist congestion, he may have two tracks at once:

• Workers' comp claim through the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training
• Personal injury claim against the third party

That dual-track setup is common. Comp pays faster but is limited. The third-party case can include pain and suffering, which comp does not.

Watch the deadlines. Rhode Island personal injury lawsuits are generally subject to a 3-year deadline. Workers' comp claim deadlines can be shorter, often 2 years to file a petition. And if comp pays benefits, it may claim reimbursement from any third-party recovery.

When a boss says "comp is your only option," the real question is whether he means only against us - or whether he's hoping you never look at everyone else.