Even if everyone at the workplace complies with health and safety regulations, workplace accidents do happen. While some workplace injuries require immediate medical attention, some injuries may not seem severe at first but may gradually worsen over time. Avoid the idea of simply ignoring it and continue working. Whatever the injury, it’s essential that you report it to your supervisor right away. It doesn’t matter who was at fault for the accident; you have the right to compensation for work-related injuries.
What Is Worker’s Compensation Law?
Workers’ compensation is a compensation system that permits employees who are injured on the job to be compensated for lost wages, medical expenditures, and occupational rehabilitation costs regardless of their personal carelessness or fault. It is a government-mandated program. Visit here to understand how worker’s compensation works.
Things To Know About Worker’s Compensation
- Fair Compensation Should Cover All Damages
The main goal of workers’ compensation law is to guarantee that a worker’s normal life is only minimally disrupted in the event of a work-related injury. Having said that, fair compensation should guarantee that a worker is fairly reimbursed for any losses incurred. These consist of paying for medical expenses, lost wages, being temporarily or permanently disabled, or even receiving death benefits.
- Compensation Is Only Provided For Illnesses Or Accidents At Work
Only workers who sustain an injury or get ill while doing work-related tasks are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. In other words, the employee could not be eligible for these benefits if the behaviors that led to the injury diverged from their regular work responsibilities.
- It’s Important To Timely Report Any Injuries
The first step in obtaining benefits is to inform your employer of any illness or injury you have suffered. If your doctor certifies that your injury was truly caused by your job, you must notify your employer within 30 days of learning about it.
- Documentation Is Essential
An important facet of workers’ compensation claims is documentation. They not only support and verify your claim but also serve as a tool for challenging adverse decisions. You will typically require the following documents:
- First injury report
- Records pertaining to your medical history.
- Declarations from the worker, witnesses, and employer.
- Medical authorizations
- The Statute Of Limitations
It’s common for the insurance company for your employer to reject a claim. When this occurs, you should file a workers’ compensation lawsuit.
It’s best to work with Pennsylvania workers’ compensation lawyers to help you in exploring your options.
- Not All Injured Workers Are Entitled To Workers’ Compensation Benefits
Your eligibility to get benefits in the event of a workplace injury depends on the number of people at your company or the industry you work in. If you work for a construction company, for instance, you will be eligible to get benefits regardless of the size of the business.
However, if you work in the agricultural sector, your ability to get benefits will depend on whether your company has six regular workers or twelve seasonal workers who have worked for at least 30 days. In several professions, the employer must employ four or more full or part-time employees.
Employees in any profession may experience workplace accidents. If you have any questions about the legalities of workplace accidents or workers’ compensation, please contact an experienced workers’ comp lawyer. They can help you with the guidance you need.
