If you are employed and are injured while working you should be covered by your employer’s workers’ compensation insurance. This is a no-fault type of insurance which pays basic compensation to genuinely injured workers. Plumbers face daily potential injuries but can only claim workers’ compensation if they are actually working for someone else. If they are self-employed or work as a contractor, generally workers’ compensation does not apply and the injured plumber must claim against their own health insurance policy. Workers’ compensation helps to pay for any medical treatment needed and also much of the normal wage that might have been earned if the plumber was able to go back to work. Some injuries can be particularly serious. If this has happened to you, you should contact a workers’ compensation attorney as soon as possible to discuss what you should do next. Injuries that Plumbers Might Have on the Job Plumbers have varied jobs. They may be involved in fitting new plumbing or maintaining or fixing existing infrastructure. Plumbers often use specialized equipment and may need protective gear to protect them from injuries caused by their own tools or when something goes wrong while on the job. Plumbers may need to climb up into confined spaces or descend into cavities or tunnels in order to make repairs or fit new equipment. Injuries can occur if they fall, or something falls on top of them or when they get stuck and need assistance to extricate themselves. Injuries may include broken bones or injured internal organs if they fall heavily. In addition to these sorts of accidents, plumbers may also be injured by their own equipment. Heavy equipment may be dropped on them or they could face crushing injuries if their tools are used incorrectly. What a Claim Might be Worth As with all injury claims there is no hard and fast way of estimating what a claim should be worth. It depends on the nature of the injury and how long it might take to heal. WC claims do not result in very large amounts of compensation unless there is some sort of permanent disability. A permanent disability may prevent the plumber from continuing with his or her work. WC claims result in the payment of two main components: medical treatment and lost wages. The main difference between a WC claim and a personal injury claim is that non-monetary suffering is not taken into consideration. Both the cost of medical treatment and compensation for lost earnings are relatively easy to calculate as they are definite monetary amounts. It is important for the injured plumber to make sure that every time a payment is billed to keep a copy of the invoice for submission with the claim. Hiring a WC Attorney May be Advisable If there has been a serious injury, or an injury claim has been challenged or denied it can be very helpful getting appropriate legal advice and help from a experienced workers’ compensation attorney. Additional Resources Plumbers and Workers' Compensation Was Your Claim Denied
