You’ve seen the ads and billboards. They usually ask if you’ve suffered an injury at work, and if so, you may be entitled to compensation.
Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance that some companies carry. It covers an employee who has an accident at work. If you’re wondering what qualifies as a work injury and how the process works, you aren’t alone. Some of the stigma associated with workers’ compensation claims has to do with a lack of information surrounding it. Discover some of the essential elements of the workers’ compensation process.
Does Your Employer Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?
First thing’s first: does your company carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage? One way you can find out is by asking your human resources representative. Some parameters dictate whether a business must have it. Each state is free to create its own laws. In California, for instance, all businesses employing one or more employees must carry it. In other states, the industry dictates whether it is required. Construction companies with one employee in Florida must have the coverage.
What Does It Cover?
Workers’ compensation is an insurance policy just like those that cover vehicles and homes. It kicks in when a specified event occurs. For workers’ comp, a qualifying event is the illness or injury of an employee that is attributed to a work condition. This could be an accident that happens at a construction site or an illness that results from mold in the office. The employee must be performing a regular job duty or something at the special request of a superior. For example, if you are asked to drive to pick up a file and get into a car accident on the way, it is considered a work event and therefore covered under workers’ compensation.
What Are the Benefits?
When you file a valid claim with your employer, the insurance company will want proof that the injury or illness is work-related. A doctor’s report of injury or illness is a document you can get from whatever medical facility or provider you visited. This report is evidence of your injury and the treatment you require to remedy it. The insurance carrier may begin paying your medical bills directly or reimburse you. Depending on the seriousness of the claim, they may pay you a portion of your income in the form of disability payments while you stay home and recover.
A workers’ compensation lawyer, like a work injury attorney in New Jersey from Rispoli & Borneo, P.C., can assist in answering any questions you may have about a possible claim.