On the job accidents occur more often than you might think. Thousands of injuries are reported every year, many are minor and some are serious enough to cause hospitalization and major rehabilitation.
There are laws, both federal and state, that provide medical benefits for those who are injured on the job. Laws require employers to provide Workers' Compensation Insurance and Medical Disability Coverage, that will pay an employee's medical bills and a portion of the employee's salary if he or she misses work do to injury.
•Workers' Compensation Insurance entitles an employee to receive compensation for on the job injuries or illnesses caused by the workplace environment.
•Workplace stress may also be covered.
All fifty states have workers' compensation laws. They all require employer's to pay for the insurance but the laws of each state may differ, so it is wise to check under your state's labor codes.
In return, the benefit to the employer is that employee's who are hurt on the job are not allowed to sue, thus avoiding long drawn out court battles.
•Workers' compensation policies are underwritten by insurance companies the are selected by the employer.
•The carrier usually agrees to pay all compensation and other benefits due an employee who is injured or ill from work related causes.
Workers' compensation insurance may not cover you if it is deemed that you were injured or if you have an illness that is not related to your job.
Employers with small numbers of workers may not carry workers' compensation insurance. This is also true for many farm related jobs, domestic workers, employees of nonprofit organizations, volunteers, and sole proprietorships.
For those who are not covered by worker's compensation insurance that is provided by an employer or if you are self employed, you may purchase a disability insurance policy on your own.
If you are injured on the job or become sick due to your workplace environment, notify your employer immediately.
•For reasons known only to the employee, sometimes work related injuries are not reported when they happen. This may cause a problem when filing for workers' compensation.
•Immediate notification helps to protect your rights.
You should seek legal advice if your injuries are not addressed promptly or to your satisfaction.