Workers Compensations-An Outline of What You Should Know

Majority of people assume once they get injured while at work, they will be adequately covered by workers compensation. It is the general assumption medical bills will be covered and during the recuperation process, wages will get paid. Assumption is not a smart choice. Workers compensation is administered and paid by insurance companies and they always try to make things complicated. Consequently, having workers compensation does not guarantee that you will get paid for injuries that occur while on the job. In essence, this type of compensation was designed to reduce lawsuits between you and your boss. Workers compensation is designed to eliminate stress and conflict. In a nutshell, it is an uncomplicated and quick way of ensuring you get your wages and an assurance that medical bills will be covered. Rather than filing a lawsuit because injuries sustained during work, you start by filing for a claim with your workers compensation insurer. The insurer is supposed to carry out an investigation to determine you got injured while at work. Get a Lawyers Help Since you are dealing with an insurance company that serves the interests of the employer, you should speak with your attorney. For short absence from work and minor injuries, no major concerns arise. However, there are instances when the injuries might be severe necessitating longer absences from work. More often than not, this complicates things. Benefits for those Covered The benefits of workers compensation are pretty obvious. Those covered get wage replacement and medical expenses are covered. The work of the insurer is to protect the employer in order to prevent the possibility of a lawsuit. Fault is never an issue in this case and the coverage is effective it is established that: 1. You were injured while working for the employer 2. The relationship between you and the employer is existent. The employer is the person who hires, pays wages, withholds taxes, and dictates the time, place and manner in which duties are supposed to be performed. An employee is the one who collects wages and carries out duties in accordance to employer dictation and specified time. Therefore, self employed and independent contractors do not fall in the category of employer-employee relationships. For the workers compensation to be effected, where and the time you got the injury must be established. For instance, if you were working past the set work hours and you were not doing any work related task compensation is not offered. Majority of workers compensation policies requires a report of the activities preceding the injury. To be on the safe side and ensure you get fair representation, always consult with an attorney. by Gaurav Singh