Most, but not all, Maryland employees are covered by their employer’s workers' compensation insurance, which is a legal requirement with very few exceptions. This means that if you have an accident at work and have to get medical treatment or cannot return to work as normal for a while, the majority of the cost is paid by your employer or by the employer’s insurer. It certainly helps to make sure that anything which happens to you is properly recorded at work by your supervisor and that you fill in the required paperwork. If you do encounter any opposition or problems with your workers'’ comp claim, contact an attorney who has experience with workers' compensation. Employment in Maryland Maryland may be a relatively small state, but it is densely populated and has a relatively high median wage of $54,360 (2015 figures supplied by the U.S. Bureau of Statistics). Over two and a half million people are employed in Maryland with the top 5 occupational categories in descending order being: Office and administrative work Sales related occupations Food preparation and serving Education, training and library positions Healthcare and technical jobs. Nearly 50% of all workers' in Maryland are working in these 5 categories alone and all should be covered by workers’ comp insurance or another specific insurance package if they are government employees. Employers and Maryland Workers Comp Requirements All employers in Maryland must take out workers' compensation insurance with a commercial carrier or self-insure if they are in a position to do so. This requirement covers all employers with a minimum of one part-time or full-time employee. Workers’ comp. insurance is designed to cover all employees on a no-fault basis, meaning that employees do not have to prove that they were not to blame for an accident or illness. Even if they were completely to blame for the incident that caused them harm, the insurance policy must cover them. The only exceptions would be if the employee had a pre-existing condition or deliberately set out to cause harm to themselves. It is important that all employers take the responsibility to make sure that they know if they have to provide coverage for their employees and that they pursue an appropriate policy with a commercial insurance carrier. Note that as with other insurance policies, insurers will assess the workplace risk and price coverage accordingly. In a few cases, an employer may find that it is difficult to find an insurer willing to provide insurance because of the perceived risk associated with their workplace. You May Want to Speak with an Attorney There should be no problem obtaining compensation if your injury or illness was properly recorded at work and your employer was fully insured, but occasionally there may be a hold up or reluctance on the part of your employer or its insurer to pay the correct amount of compensation. If this is the case, or there is another issue that is bothering you, you may find that an experienced workers' comp attorney can assist you too obtain the compensation you need.
