Questions to Be Asked about Workers’ Compensation- Clarifying Facts to Get Compensated

It is important for both employers and employees to learn about workers’ compensation so that they don’t face difficulties when they face such a situation. Since this law varies from one state to another, it is strongly recommended to contact a workers’ compensation lawyer or a reputed law firm such as The Law Offices of Gallner and Pattermann, PC. They can give you insights into the claim procedure and factors on which it depends. Some of the questions to be clarified about workers’ compensation are elaborated below:

What is a workers’ compensation program?

It is a program that protects the employer and employee from a financial crisis if the latter suffers illness due to the working environment or the nature of the job or if he gets injured at the workplace while performing his duties. The employer can buy workers’ compensation insurance so that the claims can be paid to the injured employee.

What can an injured employee expect?

The employee can get compensated for the medical expenses, lost wages, bonuses and benefits, and temporary or permanent disability. In case, the employee dies due to work-related injuries, his family members are entitled to receive the funeral costs as well.

What will not be compensated?

It is important to learn what is not covered in a workers’ compensation claim. Some of the scenarios are listed below:

• Injuries of an employee if he was intoxicated at the time of the accident at work
• Intentional injuries
• Injuries, those were caused because of the fight initiated by the employee.
• Emotional trauma, that is not related to workplace injuries or the office environment.

Who will pay the injured employee?

Generally, the employer buys workers’ compensation insurance to cover the financial losses of the employee. However, such laws are different for every state. It is suggested to contact your employer to know more about the payment criteria. Alternatively, getting in touch with a good workers’ compensation lawyer can also help you get details.

What should an employee do to get compensation?

It is suggested to report the accident to the immediate boss and the human resource department of the company. There are certain timelines to be followed to report the incident and file a claim, which is different for every state.

If you are confused about the laws pertaining to workplace injuries, hiring the best workers’ compensation lawyer is the best bet. He can suggest the right way to deal with it.