Workers' Compensation Overview

Workers' compensation laws were enacted to protect employees from financial loss and to provide medical benefits if they have been injured due to a work related accident or illness. In most cases if you are employed, and are on a company's payroll, you are covered by workers' compensation.

Eligibility for Workers' Compensation

Employees are eligible for workers' compensation benefits if they become ill or are injured in the process of performing their job. This is true regardless of who is at fault for the injury. Though most often stress, depression, or other mental health problems that may be related to the job are not covered by workers' compensation, there are exceptions in the event that the employee is part of, or witnesses, a traumatic event while at work. Before an injury will be covered by workers' compensation, the employee must prove that their injury or illness is a direct result of performing their job. Most often eligibility is determined by weighing the risk of the injury occurring if the person had not been at work. For example, if you are working on an assembly line and get your fingers stuck in a machine, it is obvious that this injury would not have occurred if you had not been at work, and that the injury is directly related to performing your job. On the other hand, if you are working in a room with a high temperature, and pass out due to the heat, eligibility for workers' compensation benefits may become questionable, as it is difficult to determine if the incident is due to work conditions, or a personal health problem. If a worker dies in the course of performing his or her job, workers' compensation benefits typically become payable to the individual's family members.

Contact a Workers' Compensation Lawyer

Workers' compensation laws apply to cases involving personal injury or wrongful death while performing duties related to employment. To find out for sure if you are eligible for workers' compensation benefits you should contact a lawyer who specializes in workers' compensation claims for a case evaluation. A lawyer can help protect your rights.