Getting hurt at the job is frequently painful in one way or another. Not only is a person physically injured, but he or she can lose income caused by the injury. What’s more, there can be medical bills to deal with. Fortunately, most employees today are covered by a program that is known as Worker’s Compensation.
Worker’s compensation refers to a state-run insurance program that protects the majority of workers in case of an on-the-job injury or an illness that results from working conditions. Exempted from this coverage are agricultural workers including farm owners and crop harvesters; domestic employees such as maids, housekeepers, butlers and the like; independent contractors of any sort; and employees of small businesses with five or fewer workers.
While each program varies in some details, all are set up to provide monetary benefits to a worker whose injury or illness resulted from a job-related accident or from the conditions of employment. Examples of this could be someone who breaks a bone in a fall, some who loses hearing as the result of working in a noisy environment, or someone who suffers repetitive stress injury from a lot of typing.
If a worker is seriously injured or ill, worker’s compensation also will pay for vocational rehabilitation such as physical therapy or training for a different job. Some programs also pay workers for loss of future earnings, if the injury prevents them from continuing in a higher-paying occupation than they can pursue because of a disability. If a worker is killed on the job, the program pays funeral costs and survivors may receive benefits to replace the deceased’s lost wages.
A worker who’s injured on the job should first file a claim form, available from the employer. Next the worker can expect to undergo an independent medical examination by a physician chosen by the employer’s insurance company. It’s important for the employee to pay close attention to the doctor’s diagnosis, to ask questions and to make notes of the examination afterward.
It’s essential that workers who are hurt while working or who become ill because of their working conditions file a worker’s compensation claim immediately. If the worker suspects that the employer or the company’s insurance vendor may dispute his or her claim, it may also be a good idea to consult an attorney. Lawyers who specialize in worker’s compensation law are skilled and experienced in making sure that employees receive all the recompense they’re entitled to under the law. Most employees are covered by worker’s compensation programs, except those in small businesses with five or fewer employees, domestic workers, agricultural workers and independent contractors.
Before you do anything, go to Hyland and Padilla to get more information about accident attorney Durham and Worker’s Compensation Attorney. Visit us today!
Tags: accident attorney, Attorney, law, Personal injury, personal injury lawsuits, Personal injury lawyer, workers comp lawyer, workers compensation attorney, wrongful death, wrongful death attorney