No matter what kind of job you have, you probably don't imagine becoming injured while on the clock. Unfortunately, this happens more often than you think, and if the injury was your employer's responsibility, there can be consequences that they'll face because of it. Businesses that have salaried or hourly employees are required to carry worker's comp insurance, which is designed to compensate you for an injury that happens while working. If you find yourself in that type of situation, you may have the following questions.
Will All Medical Expenses Be Reimbursed?
There is an assumption about worker's comp that you'll need to pay for all the medical bills, and then be reimbursed later once the worker's comp claim is approved. This is not true, since it would put those with very little savings at a disadvantage. Worker's comp does not work by reimbursing you for expenses you have paid.
Instead of paying the bills directly, the company you work for can give you information to contact the worker's comp insurance provider. You supply this info to doctors or hospitals that you visit, and your medical provider deals with all the paperwork to get paid. If the claim is legit, you'll never have to pay for your medical related expenses. If your claim is denied, you will be responsible for the bills though.
What Happens If My Employer Doesn't Have Insurance?
Even though it is legally required for companies to have worker's comp insurance, it is possible that your company doesn't have it. This could be due to not paying their premiums, or deciding that they would risk it by not getting a policy.
When your company doesn't have worker's comp insurance, all hope is not lost. You still have the option to take them to civil court to receive the compensation you deserve. You'll be able to receive all the compensation for future and past medical bills, lost wages, disabilities, as well as pain and suffering. Keep in mind that lawsuits will take much longer to receive compensation when compared to using worker's comp insurance, but it could be the sole way to be reimbursed for all of your injury related expenses.
If you feel like you do not quite understand how worker's comp will work for you, then work with a lawyer from a place like Wolter, Beeman, Lynch & Londrigan LLP to ensure your rights are protected. They'll be able to walk you through the entire process, and ensure you get the money that is owed to you.
Share10 April 2017
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.