Who Is Eligible for Workers’ Compensation Coverage?

Everyone’s jobs require them to do different tasks. If you are a software engineer, then you probably spend hours typing code. If you are a construction worker, then you might spend your days operating heavy machinery. In each instance, you can become injured while on the job.

If you experience an on-the-job accident or pain due to the nature of your job, then you might be eligible for workers’ compensation. There is a wide range of work incidents and injuries that can allow employees to recover damages to help pay for medical bills or wages they missed while taking time to recover.

Below are three work-related injuries that can happen to people in a variety of different professions:

1) Repetitive strain injury: Repetitive strain injury (RSI) involves damaged muscles, nerves and tendons as result of repetitive motions. This can include typing or using a mouse. So, essentially anyone who uses a computer for work can get an RSI like tendonitis. The repeat motions store clerks and factory line employees make can also lead to an RSI.

2) Car accident injuries: Majority of your day-to-day work might not put you behind the wheel, like truck drivers or mail carriers. But you could still be involved in an on-the-job car crash and seek workers’ compensation for car crash injuries, including broken bones or whiplash. A couple examples include an event coordinator who gets into a collision in the middle of a supply run or a realtor who gets into an accident between house showings.

3) Slip and fall injuries: Slipping and falling and suffering injuries, like a sprained ankle or head injury can also happen in many lines of work. This can include anyone from a roofer falling off a ladder to a corporate employee slipping on freshly mopped floor without any caution signs.

When injuries happen on the job or due to the nature of one’s job, they should seek medical attention as soon as possible. This is because untreated injuries can lead to worsening conditions or chronic pain. After that, an experienced attorney can assess the injured individual’s situation and guide them through the legal process of a workers’ compensation claim.