Workers’ compensation is financial benefits provided if you are injured while working. When you are away from work, you may lose the wages you would have earned and have significant medical bills related to your work-caused accident and injury. The compensation you receive from workers’ comp is designed to cover these costs.
If you are injured on the job, you may wonder if you will qualify for these benefits if you caused your accident and injury. While fault is an important consideration in car accidents and similar cases, this is not the case with workers’ compensation benefits.
At-fault workers are still eligible for workers’ comp benefits
You can still receive workers’ compensation benefits if you made a mistake or caused your accident and injury. This is because it is a no-fault system.
While this is true, there are some exceptions. For example, if you were being egregiously negligent or using alcohol and drugs during your accident, you will likely be barred from collecting benefits.
The workers’ compensation system is designed as a no-fault system because everyone takes on some level of risk while working. Making a mistake or misjudgment does not mean you are not entitled to receive compensation if you are injured.
Recovering the workers’ compensation benefits you are entitled to
If you are injured on the job, you usually have legal rights to workers’ compensation benefits. Understanding these rights and filing a claim in the specified amount of time is vital to receiving the benefits you deserve. It is also recommended that you seek medical care immediately after your injury to document what happened and its severity. All this will increase the chances you are approved for benefits.