Am I Eligible for Workers' Compensation?

Any employee who is injured while on the job should be entitled to workers' compensation. Workers' comp is a form of insurance that accommodates injured persons who were harmed while performing their job duties. Generally, a company will offer workers' compensation to its employees which will provide them with medical benefits and wage replacements should they be injured at work. There isn't a waiting period for workers' compensation to be applied to you, because you should be covered the minute you start the job. By accepting the financial and medical compensations offered through this type of package, an employee is agreeing to forego their right to sue the employer for tort negligence.

Workers' comp plans vary from company to company and state to state. In general, you will be compensated in some capacity for the money you might lose if you have to take time off work to recover from an injury. Typically, if you are unable to work for more than seven days, you are entitled to weekly benefits. Not all workers are considered employees though, such as freelancers and independent contractors. It would be best to check with your employer to see if you maintain the status of "employee" who could be covered by workers' compensation.

Your workers' compensation will also provide some sort of financial relief for the medical bills and hospital expenditures that result from your workplace injury. You will probably need to contact an attorney if you are concerned with a claim you are filing, but in general, if you received you injury while on the job then you are entitled to workers' compensation. This means that if you were doing an activity in your workplace or for the benefit of your employer when you sustained your injuries, your injury was work related and you should be entitled to compensation.