Vermont may be one of America’s smallest states, but it is certainly not empty of people. Hazards at work can potentially cause injury or other serious problems, so it is fortunate for Vermont employees that the state takes workers’ compensation insurance seriously. Most employees are covered by their employer’s insurance policy in Vermont and a successful claim can help to pay an injured or sick employee’s medical bills and part of any lost earnings. Employment in Vermont Just less than a third of a million people (304,670 in May 2016) are employed doing one type of job or another in Vermont. As in many other states, the highest percentage of Vermont’s working population are tied to an office desk.13% of the workforce are employed in office and administrative support occupations. 10% of workers are employed in sales and related jobs and 9%, slightly higher than the average for the rest of the country, work in educational and training institutions. Other major occupations, according to statistics held by the federal Bureau of Labor are food preparation, production, healthcare and transportation. How Vermont Regulates Workers’ Compensation Insurance Claims Even people who live outside of the state but work in Vermont are, or should be, covered by their employer’s workers’ comp. insurance policy. In fact, all employers in Vermont, with very few exceptions, must take out workers’ comp. insurance with a private insurance carrier or self-insure as long as they employ at least one employee. The main exceptions are listed below. Even if you are in one of the categories listed, it is still possible that your employer has taken out insurance. Ultimately, it not only benefits you, it benefits your employer too, as it usually means you cannot sue your employer independently. Exceptions to the Requirements for Workers’ Comp. in Vermont farm workers who work for an employer with a payroll less than $10,000 volunteers sole proprietors partners in a partnership someone involved in amateur sports casual workers Some of these categories are in a grey area as far as workers’ comp is concerned. An employer in Vermont who fails to provide cover when required to do so by state law may be heavily penalized. If you, as an employee, are not covered by insurance, whatever the reason, you may still be able to file a claim for compensation, but the burden of proof that it was the workplace environment that contributed to your illness or injury falls on you as the litigant. The advantage is that you may be able to secure a much higher compensation payment if you succeed with your claim. Talk to an Attorney if You Are Experiencing Problems With Your Claim There are several reasons why you might seek advice and legal help from a workers’ comp. attorney after experiencing a workplace illness or injury. Your claim may be denied by the insurer; the payment awarded may be insufficient for your situation; your employer may be legally or illegally uninsured. Workers’ comp. attorneys are conversant with every aspect of Vermont’s workers’ comp. laws and you should find that there will be a legal option if one of the scenarios mentioned above eventuates.
