Typically employers purchase Workers’ Comp insurance. If you are injured on the job you have 30-45 days to notify your employer of your injuries. Once notifies your employer will then notify his insurance carrier. If there is no doubt or question of how you were injured, and it is a work-related accident, your workers’ comp benefits start immediately.
Keep in mind your employer will also have you get seen by a doctor to treat your injuries. Te doctor may agree with you that your injuries were cause by a work related accident, and that you may need time off to heal properly. On the other hand the doctor may not agree that your injuries were in fact work related, or that your injuries are not that severe that would require time off.
This can result in your claim getting denied by the Insurance Company. The next step is to file an appeal with the State Workers’ Compensation Board.
So, what types of Injuries are Covered by Workers’ Comp?
Types on Injuries Covered by Workers CompTo understand what injuries may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits, you should first understand that there are some eligibility requirements to be met. These requirements include the fact that the person or company you were working for must carry workers’ compensation, you must be an employee of that person or company, and your injury or illness must be work-related. If you just so happen to have sustained an injury on-the-job, then it is most likely going to be covered due to the fact that you were doing something for the benefit of your employer (DelPo).
First Aid Treatment – Covered or Not?
If you were injured and a first-aid kit was able to remedy that injury, then a workers’ compensation case will probably not come into play. This means that the injury was not near severe enough to warrant such insurance coverage. Cuts, scrapes, and small wounds will probably be seen as insignificant. However, if you are exposed to something that causes headaches in your day-to-day life, then you may be covered (Shafar).
Repetitive Motion Injuries
Repetitive motion injuries may be covered and come in various forms. Carpal Tunnel Syndrome is a motion injury due to the fact that you are working at a computer and stimulating your wrists day in and day out. If your body is being used in some way to perform constant motions beyond human specification, then you may be eligible for compensation you deserve! If these injuries so happen to be detected early, they can sometimes be cured. Treatment can include things like short periods of rest, light medication, and rehabilitative exercises. However, permanent disability can happen as well if they are not caught early on.
Occupational Illnesses
Illnesses are known as occupational illnesses when a worker becomes sick and the nature of the workers’ job increases the worker’s chance of suffering from the disease. High-stress jobs like police work and firefighting may even cover heart attacks, which can be caused by too much stress. Mesothelioma claims can come from asbestos exposure in the workplace. However, as a qualification, one must be able to make a clear connection between the job at hand and the illness that it caused (Repa).
Mental Health Conditions
Mental health conditions are considered just as much as physical conditions are. Post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and severe anxiety may make you eligible for workers’ compensation. Stress may be a bit different, however; many workers experience stress to some degree, but the question is, how severe is the stress and what caused it? Stress alone may not be enough to get workers’ compensation.
Are Injuries Outside the Office Covered?
Even though you weren’t in your office when an injury happened, you may still be covered by workers’ compensation. It all depends on if you were working in the “course and scope” of your employment. This means that you were acting within your job duties and carrying out all business that is required of you. If you are getting paid for what you do and become injured as a result, then you may have a claim and where it happened doesn’t exactly matter (Shafar).
If you are injured or become ill on the job, you may have a workers’ compensation claim and should speak to an experienced attorney who can assist you. Workers’ comp can include a very complex set of laws that only an attorney will be able to help you with. Find out if you have a claim today – call RAWA Law Group, a set of attorneys you can trust!
Works Cited
Barba Kate Repa. Nolo, 2015. Web. Accessed October 26, 2015. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/free-books/employee-rights-book/chapter12-3.html
Amy DelPo. Nolo, 2015. Web. Accessed October 26, 2015. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/are-you-eligible-workers-compensation-32963.html
Amy DelPo. Nolo, 2015. Web. Accessed October 26, 2015. https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/are-you-eligible-workers-compensation-32963.html