If you were injured on your way to work or when you ran out for lunch, you may have been told by well-meaning friends that you cannot claim it under worker's comp. Under most circumstances this is true, but there are exceptions to the rule. Find out if your injuries qualify as work-related and fall under the umbrella of worker's comp.
The Coming and Going Rule
The coming and going rule applies to employees who travel to and from work every day. Under normal circumstances this falls under your personal responsibility, and your commute is not covered under worker's compensation insurance. This is true if you work at the same location every day and report to work according to a schedule. But there are times when this doesn't apply. If any of the following are true for you, you may be able to claim the injury on worker's comp.
Lunch or Break Time
It is not uncommon for employees to leave the job site during their breaks and lunch hour. If you are injured during this time you generally are not covered by worker's comp; however, there are exceptions. If your employer asks you to do any of the following and you sustain an injury, you may be covered.
Worker's compensation rules vary from state to state. For example, some states will allow a worker's comp claim for injuries that occur before you arrive at work in the morning or after you leave the office if you are discussing work-related issues with a co-worker (or client) during the commute, or if you make a call to a client on your cell phone while traveling. If you have questions about the worker's compensation regulations in your state, contact your state worker's compensation official or a worker's comp lawyer from a firm like Prediletto, Halpin, Scharnikow & Nelson, P.S.
Share18 May 2016
Too many single people assume they don't need to plan their estate. My brother fell into this category, and his unexpected passing left our entire family struggling to deal with his home, belongings, and financial accounts. It took nearly three years for the courts to set up a deal because he left no paperwork detailing how he wanted his estate divided. The situation immediately convinced me to work on my own estate, even though I'm still in my early 30's and don't have children or a spouse to worry about. Since it's a little harder to pick beneficiaries and estate managers when you're single, I collected the resources I used for making my own decisions and decided to publish them here on my blog. Use these resources before talking to an estate planning attorney so you're prepared for making hard decisions.