- If you were injured at work, you may be entitled to workers compensation. If you qualify, workers compensation will help you pay both your medical expenses and your living expenses while you recover from your injury. In order to qualify for workers compensation benefits you must be an employee of the company where you were injured. This means that if you were an independent contractor, and were injured while doing work for the company, you will not be able to recover via workers compensation benefits. Workers compensation benefits only apply if you were working for the company at the time of the injury, meaning you will not be eligible for workers compensation for injuries suffered while traveling to or from work, or while you are doing other activities.
- You may also be able to recover for an injury suffered while you are working if your employer was negligent and the negligence caused your injury. This is likely a means for recovery if you were injured due to poorly maintained equipment or a poorly maintained work space. In order to recover for negligence, you must prove that your employer had a duty to provide a safe work environment, that he breached that duty, and that the breach caused your injury. You can recover damages to compensate you for your injury if your employer's negligence caused your injury regardless of your status as an employee.
- If you are injured at work, you may be facing pressure from your employer and his insurance company. It is important to carefully consider offers from your employer and the insurance company to be sure that you are fairly compensated for your injuries. Do not give in to pressure to settle a claim quickly, as it is important to be aware of the full extent of your injury, the expenses associated with the injury, and your future limitations prior to agreeing to a fair value to compensate you for the injury,
