What is worker’s compensation?
Worker’s compensation allows employees to enter the workplace in ease. They do not have to worry or fear about the dangers of their occupation. Employees make a simple trade off with their employers to get worker’s compensation. An employee gives up the ability to sue the company for injury, negligence, in return for wage replacement and medical benefits. The employee is reimbursed, paid, or treated in some manner as a way to cover an injury that occurs on-the-job.
Certain states and employers have stipulations and specifics about their worker’s compensation programs. The benefits from worker’s compensation can vary. The most common is coverage of injury. The other types of coverage can include disability, economic loss, health insurance, and even life insurance. The jurisdiction of the state and guidelines of the employer weigh heavily on what kinds of coverage are available to the employees.
Worker’s compensation can not only be limited to injury. Employers can also cover illnesses. Illness does not mean normal sickness like the common cold. Only illnesses that can be proven to be contrived from the workplace are covered by worker’s compensation benefits. So, the illness has to be severe enough to put the employee out of work for a long period of time. The same can also be said for injuries. The only injuries covered by worker’s compensation are injuries that are received from working at the workplace or being on-the-job. The injury must also put the employee out of work for a sustained period of time.
Workers’ compensation is not necessarily given by all companies. Certain states require employers to have worker’s compensation but there are also states that do not require it. For an employee, the benefits greatly vary on where you work, who you are working for, and local/state legislation.
What are the qualifications for workers compensation?:
Are you wondering if you or someone you know qualifies for workers’ compensation? Well there are a few simple questions you can ask yourself. Have you been injured on the job? Have you become ill due to work related tasks? Has there been a death due to the work place? If you answered yes to any of these questions…then the chances are that you likely qualify for workers’ compensation.
General Workers’ Compensation Must-Haves:
The bullet points previously mentioned are only general qualifications to get the “general” compensation. For severe and double workers’ compensation benefits you must meet the following:
Injuries often covered by Workers’ Compensation:
Note: If you do not have one of the injuries listed above, do not stop there! Just because your specific injury is not listed, this does not mean you do not qualify for workers’ compensation. Schedule a Free Case Evaluation to find out if your injury qualifies you for workers’ compensation.
Workers compensation vs. health and disability insurance:
Workers’ Compensation and health and/or disability insurance differ greatly. There are many differences between the types of insurances. Workers’ Compensation has specific guidelines and parameters whereas health insurance and disability insurance are not as specific.
Health insurance is a preventative care that ensures overall health and wellness. Health insurance is normally between a contractor and a buyer. As I stated previously, it is a preventative service. So, by singing up by contract, the buyer agrees to be covered by a certain amount. This dollar amount is what the health insurance company is willing to pay for and cover for medical expenses. These expenses can include, but are not limited to, office visits, x-rays, prescription drugs, Emergency Room visits, and emergency/ambulance care. The contract, or health plan, states the agreements and qualifications between the insurance company and the consumer. In this health plan the buyer agrees to pay a premium, monthly payment. The payment amount is dependent on the amount of money the health insurance company is going to cover. The higher the company will cover, the higher the monthly premium.
Disability insurance works in the same fashion as health insurance. For disability insurance, the consumer enters into a contract and agrees to pay a premium. Many aspects of the two types of insurance are the same. The only difference is what is being covered. For disability insurance it only covers disability…and that is it. So, it is only good for those who are disabled. Other than that, it is useless to the non-disabled.
Workers’ Compensation is not a contractual agreement. Workers’ compensation is normally given for free by the company, business, or state you work for. There are no monthly premiums or set amounts of money that are covered. The amount of money covered by workers’ compensation is determined by the injury or illness. So, this service is to ensure the welfare of workers. For workers’ compensation it only covers illnesses or injuries incurred from the work place or job conditions.
How do I know if I’m covered by workers compensation?:
More than likely you, as an employee, have some type of worker’s compensation. Almost every state in the United States has a workers’ compensation program. Now, like stated on other pages, there are state specific qualifications that must be met. These qualifications vary depending on the state in which you live. So, your compensation benefits could be dependent on your state or the company through whom you are employed. Learn more about some general qualifications.
If you are employed as a full-time employee and are working with a certain company, it is recommended to visit their HR (Human Resources) Department. Human Resources handles everything that has to do with employees. They can tell you what kind of full-time benefits you can receive, if they have not already.
Take advantage of workers’ compensation. Make sure your employer is signed up. It can save you a lot of money and headaches down the road if you get injured while performing at work. It is one of the great and many freedoms and benefits for being a full time employee. If your company does not offer workers’ compensation, then you may want to suggest they do. There are many reasons why a company should offer this wonderful opportunity to their employees. The trade off between employee and employer is such that the employee cannot generally sue the company for on-the-job injuries in return the company offers workers’ compensation to cover the expenses if there is an injury. It is a sure fire way to please both parties. This can save the employers and employees a lot of money. Areas in which money can be saved may be court fees, hospital bills, doctor bills, procedure costs, and loss of employment.
If you suffered a work injury or suffering from an illness do to work conditions contact the West Jordan workers compensation attorneys at Alta Legal today. Let our years or experience help you get the compensation you deserve.