Construction work is no easy job. Workers sacrifice their time and risk their health to provide services. Becoming seriously hurt while on the job is a common issue for construction workers. Because of this, it is important for employees to know whether they are entitled to workers’ compensation.
Currently, there are high numbers of injuries and deaths at construction sites. In these cases, it is important to note what qualifies you for workers’ compensation and what does not.
An injury needs to meet the following criteria:
- The injury happened while you were involved in a work-related activity (even if it was not at the work site).
- You gained a bodily injury because of an accident.
- You are an employee, as opposed to a contractor.
There are also some conditions that can disqualify you from receiving workers’ compensation for an injury. These are as follows:
- The injury happened while engaged in non-work-related activities.
- You are an intern, a contractor or freelancer.
Knowing whether your injury counts as one that workers’ compensation covers can save you from having to pay high medical bills yourself. Workers’ compensation also allows you to focus on resting and recovering from the injury, rather than facing the financial stress of not working.
It’s worth noting that many construction workers are not employees. But that doesn’t mean that they don’t still have legal recourse if they get injured. Contractors and other non-employee workers can file a personal injury lawsuit for injuries they suffer on the job.
Construction site injuries happen regularly. It is worth understanding how you can seek compensation to get through the healing process.