As an employer, you of course make safety an utmost priority and hope you never have an employee injured while on the job. However, it is important to be prepared should that day ever come. First of all, it should be stated very clearly in your company policy that any accident which occurs in the workplace should be immediately reported, even if the injured worker feels the injury is minor. From there, your first priority is to make sure your employee has any medical assistance needed. … [Read more...]
Why Employers Might Dispute a Workers’ Compensation Claim
If you become injured or ill while performing duties within the scope of your employment, you are most definitely entitled to file a workers’ compensation claim. Workers’ compensation provides medical benefits and lost wages to employees injured on the job in exchange for them relinquishing their rights to sue their employer for negligence. Should you file, you should be prepared for the fact that your employer may deny the claim. There are a variety of reasons which may cause them to do … [Read more...]
Can My Employer Fire Me While I’m on Workers’ Compensation?
Unfortunately, some individuals who are injured on the job may never file a workers’ compensation claim out of fear of being fired in retaliation. The good news is that legally, your employer cannot fire you simply for filing a workers’ compensation claim. However, they can fire you while you are out using workers’ compensation, as long as they can prove that they are not firing you because of that claim. Virginia is an “at will” State. This means an employer can fire or let go their … [Read more...]
Workers’ Compensation
If you become ill, are injured, or die while in your place of employment, you or your family may be entitled to workers’ compensation. Workers’ compensation claims can be filed for a wide range of work-related issues, such as repetitive motion stress injuries, psychological stress issues, or lung conditions made worse by the air quality where you work. The major caveat is that the illness or injury must have occurred while “in the course of employment.” This means that injuries which occur … [Read more...]