Workers’ Compensation Basics

You may not think very much about workers’ compensation until you have an injury at work that requires medical attention and time off for recovery. If you have had such an injury, however, you probably want to know all you can find out about workers’ compensation, how you access it, and how it can benefit you.

What Is Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation is a type of insurance policy that your employer purchases. It covers you and your coworkers in the event that you are injured in an accident at work. Your employer is responsible for paying the workers’ compensation insurance premium. There is no cost to you for being covered.

What Does Workers’ Compensation Cover?

Workers’ compensation covers medical expenses for work-related injuries and sometimes illnesses. This includes repetitive motion injuries and aggravations of previous injuries if the aggravation occurred because of your job. In addition to covering your medical expenses, workers’ compensation also covers any wages that you lost due to being off work due to receiving treatment and recuperating from your injury.

Workers’ compensation may include injuries that happened away from your workplace if you were engaged in job duties at the time. It may also cover injuries that occurred while you were on the premises but not working, such as a slip and fall in the bathroom or break room during a scheduled rest period. However, it typically does not cover reckless behavior unrelated to your job.

Are All Employers Required To Have Workers’ Compensation Insurance?

No. The requirements vary by state. Some states exempt small businesses with only a few employees. Texas allows any employer, large or small, to opt out of workers’ compensation coverage.

How Do You Make a Worker’s Compensation Claim?

First, you must report your injury to your employer. Then you must receive medical attention. Sometimes your employer or the insurance company will require you to see a particular doctor. Once you receive treatment, you must fill out the necessary paperwork to file your claim. You usually have to do this within a particular time frame. The exact amount of time you have varies by state but typically ranges from between 30 days to 90 days.

What Are the Advantages of Workers’ Compensation?

Workers’ compensation is good for both you and your employer. You do not have to worry about winning a court case to recover compensation, and your employer does not have to go to the trouble or expense of defending against a lawsuit.

Nevertheless, sometimes your employer does not make it easy to claim workers’ compensation. If this happens  work injury lawyers in northern New Jersey can help you recover what you deserve. Contact a law office to schedule a consultation.

Thanks to Rispoli & Borneo, P.C. for their insight into workers compensation.