Working with a workers’ compensation lawyer such as the professionals you’ll find at the McMahan Law Firm may help your case tremendously. It’s sometimes hard to know what types of injuries are covered by workers’ compensation, and more importantly, if your specific injury will qualify for a case. Workers’ Compensation Insurance is a legally mandated insurance that all employers must have in case of injury to their employees.
Workers’ comp provides employees who have been injured while undergoing job duties, and even duties that take place outside of work that are associated with the job. It’s not only injuries that have an immediate and direct effect on the body, so read on and see just which injuries are covered by workers’ compensation.
Which Injuries Are Work Related?
In most circumstances, all injuries that occur within the scope of your employment are eligible for workers’ compensation. Whether you’re traveling for work, going on a call for work, working on site, or even injured during an activity like a company outing, they’re all eligible for workers’ compensation. The example of sustaining an injury during a company outing is an example of a recent expansion made in workers’ comp eligibility.
Even if the fault of the injury is pointing toward the employee, they are still eligible for workers’ compensation. It doesn’t matter who is at fault for the injury, it only matters that one occurred. There are even some cases where the employee has been eligible for workers’ compensation even when they purposefully caused harm to themselves in the work environment. But not all states recognize intentional harm under workers’ compensation insurance- California does not, for example.
Types of Injuries
Repetitive stress, occupational illness, and stress-related injuries are all recognized under workers’ compensation.
For example, if you work for a company that requires constant heavy lifting, adding strain to your back and/or knees, it is possible that over time your bones could undergo enough stress that they weaken and begin to deteriorate. If you are at home and you are lifting something like you normally would and your back or knees give out, that goes under the repetitive stress column of workers’ comp.
Although you may not have been at work when the injury took place, it is because of the work you performed there earlier that made it impossible to lift an item without injury.
Stress in the workplace can result in other serious problems, such as high-blood pressure or heart problems that could lead to heart disease. Related illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) also fall under the stress category and can affect performance in professions like firefighting and police work.
Work-Related Illnesses
Illnesses that can be proven as work related are also eligible for workers’ comp. Illnesses such as heart disease, mesothelioma, or asbestosis which are caused by over exposure to asbestos are under this blanket. If due to poor health standards and health violations by the company you are employed with causes illness, in most cases you will become eligible for workers’ compensation. Again, it must be proven that there is a distinguishable link to your employment as opposed to something that happened because of normal activity.
It is understood that injuries and illnesses that fall under workers’ comp can be difficult to identify. Make it simpler for you or someone you know, count on a professional and experienced workers’ compensation lawyer like the ones at McMahan Law firm, and contact them today!
