Workers’ Compensation
Workers’ compensation is an insurance program that provides compensation to employees who have suffered an illness or injury as a result of working at their job. This employee can get workers’ compensation benefits regardless of who was at fault, but the employee usually does not have the right to sue the employer in court for damages for those injuries.
Workers’ compensation benefits can include medical care, rehabilitation expenses, and disability coverage to compensate for your lost income. Disabilities fall into one of four categories:
- Temporary total disability – You can’t work now, but you will be able to work again (most fall into this category)
- Temporary partial disability – You can do parts of your job now, but not everything and someday you may be able to do all the duties again.
- Permanent total disability – You cannot return to the current job.
- Permanent partial disability – Damage is permanent, but it only partially impairs the ability to work.
If you are a family member of someone who was killed on the job, you may be entitled to death benefits.
Each state has its own laws and programs for worker’ compensation.