When you’re injured at work, your employer should provide workers’ compensation, regardless of who is at fault. Employers are required to have workers’ compensation insurance, which is designed to cover a variety of things:
- Medical Care. Workers’ compensation should cover everything you need to recover from your injury. That could include prescriptions, doctors bills and the cost of getting to and from an appointment.
- Vocational Rehabilitation. Some injuries are severe enough that the injured person is no longer able to do the job. In those cases, workers’ compensation covers new vocational training so that the worker can find comparable employment.
- Temporary disability. Most injuries will keep the injured party away from work for some period of time. Workers’ compensation provides for at least partial wages during this time.
- Permanent disability. If the worker can never return to work, there may be a cash settlement involved. The settlement will be based on a number of factors.
If you suffer an injury at work, your first priority is to get medical attention. Once the emergency has passed, you’ll need to let your employer know about the injury. It’s best to do this in writing and keep a copy for yourself. Next, your employer will offer you a claim form. Fill that out as completely and specifically as possible. You’ll want to file the claim in a timely manner. The sooner you file, the sooner you’ll have your benefits.
If you need help filing or you’ve been denied workers’ compensation, you may want to speak to an attorney who specializes in employment law.