Workers’ compensation is a form of insurance that is specifically designed to cover the costs incurred when employees suffer work-related injuries. In Missouri, companies with five or more employees are required to purchase workers’ comp insurance regardless of their industry. This number is lower for specific industries such as construction, where companies with even one employee are required to obtain workers’ compensation coverage.
Our personal injury attorneys in Lebanon MO have a great deal of experience working with injured individuals to obtain financial compensation for work-related injuries. This week, we’re taking a closer look at how you can tell if you may have the grounds to file a workman’s comp claim.
Sign #1: Your Injury Occurred At Work
This is the most obvious – and most important – sign to look for. If your injury occurred on company premises while you were working, you should be able to easily prove that your accident was directly related to your work.
Sign #2: Your Injury Was Work-Related
In some cases, the line between “at work” and “not at work” becomes blurred. If your injury occurred off company premises but while you were on the clock, such as while you were making deliveries for your employer, you may still be able to receive compensation for your injuries. These types of situations become a bit more technical and a bit more challenging, however, so you may wish to speak with a worker’s compensation attorney in Eldon MO before taking action.
Sign #3: Your Injury Resulted In Medical Bills
Workers’ compensation is designed to compensate employees for the costs incurred from work-related injuries. If you sustained a minor injury but did not seek medical treatment for it, you won’t be eligible to receive any financial compensation.
Sign #4: You Missed Time At Work Due To Your Injury
In their simplest forms, workman’s comp claims reimburse injured employees for the medical bills they incurred as a result of their accident. However, workers’ compensation claims frequently become more complicated as injured employees miss work while they recover from their accidents. In these situations, the financial compensation should be higher to account for the lost wages (and potentially the employee’s reduced future earning potential as well). If your injury was severe enough to cause you to miss time from work, chances are good that you could have the grounds for a workman’s comp claim.
Sign #5: Your Injury Is Recent
The statute of limitations places strict deadlines on the amount of time employees have to file workers’ compensation claims. Once the statute of limitations expires for a specific accident or injury, any claims pertaining to this situation will be automatically considered invalid. The clock generally begins ticking the moment the injury occurred OR the moment it should have been discovered. This is relatively straightforward for accidents (such as falling off of ladders), but can be much more vague for chronic conditions that developed over time (such as carpal tunnel).
Contact Our Workers’ Comp Attorneys To Get Started
If you have sustained a work-related injury, we encourage you to contact our workers’ compensation attorney at the Lake of the Ozarks as quickly as possible (after seeking medical treatment). Workers’ comp claims are governed by tight deadlines and important details that must be attended to. Your attorney will be able to help you navigate the situation and improve your chances of receiving the compensation that you deserve.
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