Every employee working for a construction company should have a good understanding of how dangerous his or her job can be. Just one wrong move can put your safety and life on the line. You can sustain injuries from work that can hinder you from functioning as an individual. And when this happens, do you know what to do? Do you know where you can possibly get financial support for the expenses you have to pay for your injuries and treatments? All of your questions might be solved by a workers’ compensation claim.
What Is Workers’ Compensation?
In its simplest sense, workers’ compensation is an insurance that provides cash benefits and medical care for employees who were injured or become ill as a direct result of the their job.
When an accident happens to an employee on the job, as he or she is working, the employer pays for “workers’ compensation,” and the employee is not required to pay for anything related to the injury. Everything is shouldered by the employer. Workers’ compensation can include weekly cash benefits and medical care paid by the employer’s insurance carrier, as stipulated by the Workers’ Compensation Board.
An employee receives the benefits of workers’ compensation regardless of the party at fault. This means that the amount you get isn’t decreased if it is proved that the accident was because of your carelessness, nor will it increase if proved that the employer was at fault. However, you cannot file for a workers’ compensation when it is proved that you were hurt because of intoxication from alcohol or drugs, or with the intent of injuring yourself.
So How Can You File For A Workers’ Compensation?
Workers’ compensation can go a long way toward an injured employee’s recovery. Once you can obtain financial support from your employer, it is be easier for you to undergo the required treatments and meet with your doctors as frequently as needed. Before you can maximize the benefits of the workers’ compensation, you should first follow these steps in filing for one:
- When you’re injured while doing your job, you should report what happened to your supervisor as soon as possible. If you do this after waiting a month, for instance, you might not be able to receive any benefits from the workers’ compensation.
- To file a claim, you have to fill out a Form WC-14 and file the document with your State Board of Workers’ Compensation. You should provide a copy of the document to your employer and your employer’s insurance carrier.
- If you’ve missed work for at least seven days because of the injuries you sustained from the accident, you can receive two-thirds of your earnings per week, with a maximum of $575 as a part of your weekly income benefit from the claim. Depending on the gravity of your injuries, you may even qualify to receive such amount for up to three to seven years. This time limit (for temporary disability benefits) is determined by the state in which you live.
Indeed, workers’ compensation can be a huge help to an employee who has been involved in an accident at work. With workers’ compensation, you can be aided in paying your medical bills and even compensated for wages you’ve lost because of missing work. If your employer exploited your workers’ compensation in any way, you should work with a worker’s compensation attorney like this one here. They will fight for your rights to ensure that you get what you truly deserve.
Don’t Overlook Workers’ Compensation Benefits
When you suffer an injury at work, you don’t have to take care of everything by yourself. Your employer has a responsibility to look after you. Since the injury took place while you were working, your employer should provide help, and workers’ compensation is one way your company can assist you. Consider the points presented in this article and educate yourself about workers’ compensation. With this information, you’ll determine what workers’ compensation is and how you can make use of these benefits when needed.
