Workers’ compensation has revolutionized the way that injured employees are thought about and cared for. With this insurance, they are able to shift their focus from the fear of the unknown of trying to scramble to find the funds to secure their recovery from a workplace injury to ensuring that their entire focus is aimed at getting better while still being able to provide for their fails. However, as with all types of insurance, there are caveats and exceptions to the rule. In this post, we’re looking at a few facts that every employee ought to understand about workers’ compensation.
Common Injuries Covered Under Policy
Worker’s compensation is primarily aimed at covering injuries that occur during the course of an employee performing the duties they’ve been assigned. As such, it covers a litany of different damages that are most common in the workplace rather than other, more general personal injury issues. To find out more, you can visit TruPoint’s blog, which provides a vast number of resources related to workers comp in general. But generally speaking, it covers the following injuries (the list isn’t exhaustive but aimed to give you an idea of what’s covered):
- Muscle strains, sprains, and tears
- Bone fractures
- Cuts, lacerations, and punctures
- Repetitive strain injuries
- Burns
- Eye injuries
Occupational diseases
As a general rule, any incident that occurs during working hours should be covered.
It Is Usually “No-Fault” Based
Because injuries and accidents can happen at a moment’s notice and utterly change the course of someone’s entire life, the “no-fault” system was created to ensure that injured workers receive prompt and consistent medical and financial support without having to go through a lengthy and potentially costly legal process to prove who was at fault. However, nuances exist, such as if an employee has caused an injury themselves in order to benefit from compensation (and it can be proven) or if they have violated company policy stating specific procedures to stay safe, they may not be covered or receive a considerably lighter payout.
Reporting Workplace Injuries Promptly Essential
When it comes to any sort of insurance, it’s vital to report an accident as fast as possible. This might involve reporting it to your employer via official accident reporting channels or having someone do so on your behalf. Failure to do so can result in a number of consequences that range from a delayed compensation process to a decline in your claim due to being unable to prove the injuries you stated happened while on the job. Essentially, if you get injured, you need to repost it as soon as possible to gain the full benefits of the insurance.
Employee Rights During Claims Process
As an employee, you have multiple rights that cover you against all manner of unfair practices. Aside from the no-fault point mentioned previously, you have the right to legal representation if required, safety from retaliation from your company, and a right to appeal a decision that you believe isn’t in your favor.
Workers’ compensation has genuinely been a crucial advocate for worker rights that were once nonexistent. It ensures they are entitled to compensation to cover medical and legal costs as well as a percentage of lost wages when involved in a workplace accident through no fault of their own.
