Most employers in Minnesota are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance coverage. In the event that an employee is injured on the job, workers’ compensation insurance can help to pay for some of the injured employee’s damages. Here are three facts a lot of people don’t know about workers’ compensation:
Fact #1: Your coverage starts immediately
As long as you’re an employee and not an independent contractor, your workers’ compensation insurance coverage begins from the moment you start a new job. That means that even if you are injured on the first day you start working for an employer, you can file a claim for your medical expenses and lost wages.
Fact #2: You can file a claim, even if the accident was your fault
Workers’ compensation is no-fault insurance coverage, so your accident is still compensable even if it was not your employer’s fault. For example, if you forgot to wear safety goggles and injured your eye, you can still file a workers’ compensation claim.
There are exceptions to no-fault insurance coverage if an employee committed fraud. A deliberately staged accident, for example, would not be compensable. Workers that are injured while engaging in horseplay can also be denied workers’ comp benefits.
Fact #3: You can recoup lost wages for more than one job
A lot of people work multiple jobs to make ends meet. If you are injured on one job, your injuries may prevent you from returning to work at all of your jobs. When you file a workers’ compensation claim, you can claim lost wages for all of your jobs, not just the job where you were injured.
Report your injury and document everything
Workers’ compensation claims are sometimes denied, so it’s important to be organized and prepared. Your claim is much more likely to be successful if you report your injury to your employer as soon as it happens and collect as much documentation as you can.
