Getting Injured at the Workplace
Getting Injured at the Workplace
In some jobs and work environments, there are some inherent risks involved with the task at hand. For situations like these, employers and employees sign comprehensive agreements and waivers regarding risks of injury. However, a lot of injuries can happen at the workplace, even if it was not a foreseeable occupational hazard. According to California law on workplace injuries, employees injured while at their job can receive workers’ compensation.
What is Workers Compensation?
When you get injured outside of work, the costs associated with medical care (if not covered by insurance) will come out of your own pocket. However, workers’ compensation allows for an employer to present medical care/treatment and cover some of the costs associated with the injury. An important aspect of the law is that if an employee is injured at the workplace, the employer is not allowed to discriminate against the injured person. For example, if an employee breaks their arm while at work their boss cannot fire them for that reason.
How to Receive the Compensation
First, if you are at work and require immediate medical care, call 911. Even if emergency services are not called, the employee should make sure to let their employer know of their workplace injury. Furthermore, when asked about the context of the injuries and about insurance coverage, the employee must mention that the injury occurred at the workplace. To receive workers compensation, both the employee and employer must file a claim regarding the injuries to the appropriate insurance company. Once the workers compensation has been approved, the employer must provide the injured person with services like health care and disability, inter alia.
