What do I Need to Know about Workers Compensation?

by | Mar 23, 2013 | Lawyer

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If you have a job, odds are that you will be covered by workers compensation in Cedar Rapids, IA. Workers compensation is a type of insurance that is mandated by the state of Iowa that will cover medical costs in the case of illness or injury. The thing about workers compensation, however, is that this illness or injury must have been caused by some type of work activity. You will not be able to claim workers compensation if an injury happened outside of work, for example. It doesn’t matter if the injury or illness was your fault or not, you will generally be able to claim as long as the incident occurred while at work.

What Does Workers Compensation Cover?

Workers compensation in Cedar Rapids, IA will cover all of your hospital and medical bills that are due to the diagnosis of the injury or illness. Additionally, you will be able to claim disability payments if you must be off work, though these will only be about 2/3 of your normal salary. Depending on certain circumstances, workers compensation may also pay for rehabilitation and retraining, if needed. There is also the possibility of death benefits for a spouse or beneficiary if the incident causes the death of an employee.

Will Workers Compensation Cover All Workplace Injuries?

Workers compensation will not cover all workplace injuries. Though the program is designed to cover injuries at work, no matter if it is the fault of the employee or the employer, it will not cover everything. For example, if the employee is intoxicated or found to be taking illegal drugs, any injury or illness would not be covered. Other injuries that are not covered are injuries that are self-inflicted, incidents caused when the employee was committing any type of crime or injuries that occurred when a worker was violating a company policy.

If I am Not at My Workplace, but Still Working, Am I Covered?

Even if you are not at your workplace, but performing an on the job duty, you can still be covered by workers compensation. For example, if you are at a work related party and get injured, you would be covered by workers compensation. Additionally if you travel for work, and you become injured, you could also be covered by this insurance.

If you think that you may have a case for workers compensation, it is important that you find a great local attorney. Make sure you choose a lawyer who has a history of excellence when covering workers compensation cases and who has your best interest in mind. Even if you are uncertain that you have a workers compensation case, you should call as this guide only touches the surface of information that you need to know.