The Most Important Things You Need to Know About Workers’ Compensation

If you get hurt on the job, workers’ compensation can provide you with benefits that cover your doctor bills and a portion of your lost wages. It is important that you understand your legal rights and  the types of benefits that are available to you to afford you the maximum protection for you and your family after your work injury.

An experienced Phoenix workers’ compensation lawyer can evaluate your case and provide you specific information about your work injury and your legal rights, but it is also helpful to know some general information as well. For example, some of the key things to know about workers’ compensation benefits are the following:

1. Almost every employer is required to buy workers’ comp insurance. This means that you are very likely covered by a workers’ comp policy in case you get hurt on the job.
2. Workers’ comp covers injuries regardless of employer negligence. This means even if your employer follows all safety rules and does everything right, you are still entitled to workers’ comp benefits (unlike when you make a personal injury claim and negligence is usually required).
3. You can make a mistake on the job and still be covered by workers’ comp. If you or a co-worker makes an error that leads to your work injury, this will not necessarily disqualify you from being covered by workers’ compensation.
4. Workers’ comp covers repetitive stress and toxic exposure injuries. If you develop carpal tunnel or another repetitive stress injury because of your work, then you should be entitled to workers’ comp benefits. If you get sick because you were exposed to chemicals or toxins, you should be covered.
5. Workers’ comp also covers injuries from accidents off the normal work-site. Obviously, injuries on-site are usually covered. However, if you are sent on a required company errand or to a company retreat necessary for your job, you can be covered by workers’ comp even though your injury happened outside of your normal work location.  Traveling employees are usually covered for injuries occurring while traveling.
6. Workers’ comp pays your medical benefits provided by authorized treating doctors in full. This is much more comprehensive than health insurance since you have no deductibles or co-pays. You may also, depending upon the circumstances,  be covered for the costs of transportation to your doctor and/or adaptive medical devices that you require because of your workplace injury.
7. You can receive partial disability benefits through workers’ comp while receiving treatment to improve your condition. Compensation is paid at the rate of two-thirds of your lost earning capacity.
8. Death benefits are  available to designated dependents.  In the event of a workplace death surviving family members including spouses and children, are entitled to benefits, subject to certain limitations.  If there aren’t a surviving spouse and/or children, benefits may be payable to surviving parents and if none, to surviving brothers and sisters (subject to various limitations).

How can a Phoenix workers’ compensation Lawyer help?

These are just some of the essential facts about workers’ comp benefits in Arizona of which you should be aware. An experienced Phoenix workers’ compensation lawyer can also help you to learn other information relevant to your case and can provide you with comprehensive information important to protecting your legal rights. It’s inadvisable to try and navigate the legal process alone, as it’s easy to get caught up in the red tape, and as a result, get denied.  You can also make mistakes that will negatively impact your claim and rights for the rest of your life.