Types of Injuries Workers’ compensation is available to you if you become injured or ill while working. Your employer purchases workers’ compensation insurance and makes it available to you in exchange for your forfeit of the right to sue them for negligence. You can use your workers’ compensation to pay for lost wages due to missed work as well as your medical bills related to your injury. Workers’ compensation is a no-fault system, meaning you are still eligible for coverage regardless of whether or not you were responsible for your injuries. Here are a few of the most common injuries that are covered by workers’ compensation. Accidents Workers’ compensation covers most accidents that take place on the job, regardless of whether it was caused by your own negligence. These can include slip-and-fall accidents, getting injured by your machinery, a car accident while doing company business, and more. Workers’ compensation also offers large payouts in the form of permanent impairment benefits. For instance, you can receive a large sum of $100,000 in the event that you lost a hand or permanent use of your hand, due to a workplace accident. Repetitive Motion Injuries Most workers’ compensation insurance companies have realized that the human body is not meant to perform a repetitive motion over long periods of time without risk of injury to the body parts involved. This is why repetitive motion injuries (RPIs) are covered under workers’ compensation. RPIs occur during many types of work, such as on production lines at manufacturing plants and carpal tunnel syndrome while performing desk jobs, in which your hands and wrist suffer from long-term, repeated strain. Carpal tunnel syndrome can even cause permanent disability. Occupational Illnesses If the nature of your work causes an illness instead of an injury, such as lung issues from being a coal miner, you are most likely eligible to receive workers’ compensation. This is because the conditions at your job are directly related to your illness. Also, if the nature of your job causes severe emotional distress, and even stress-related digestive issues, you may be covered by workers’ compensation. This is especially true of jobs where people often have to witness grisly accident scenes that could cause post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a severe mental condition brought about by highly stressful events. Paying for Medical Treatment Workers’ compensation will cover all medical bills related to your injury or illness caused on the job, even long-term treatment and transportation to and from treatment. It may also pay for specific therapies related to your illness or injury, as well as vocational rehabilitation so that you may learn a new skill to return to work after you heal. Getting Help with Your Workers’ Compensation Claim You should always hire a workers’ compensation lawyer to help you determine if your injury or illness is covered. A lawyer will also help you get started on filing your workers’ compensation claim so that you can receive the damages you need and deserve.
