In the past decade, the number of women entering the workforce in traditionally male-held occupations has increased by nearly 30%. Women are working as skilled trade laborers, becoming police officers and firefighters, and can be found just about anywhere around a construction site. It is important that all employees, men and women, are taught the same rights and regulations regarding Workers’ Compensation.
Many single-parent mothers are entering into fields that are statistically more dangerous, and they need to know what protection they and their families have in case of injury. Having an accident at work can be a tough time with not only the pain of your injury, but the stress that can come from lost wages and time. The Workers’ Compensation process can be daunting and confusing if you do not know your rights.
If you are a woman who has been injured in your workplace, whether it’s an office setting or on the factory floor, you are entitled to collect your insurance benefits. To avoid the confusion with your filing, hassles with back to work times, and the possibility of a rejected claim, get help here by talking to a professional benefits lawyer. Take a look at some of the basic facts that all workers should know about the Workers’ Compensation system.
No Fault System.
Throughout the U.S., the Workers’ Compensation program is considered to follow a “no fault” structure. This means that you will not have to prove that your employer is directly at fault for your accident. Your claim is considered on the basis of your injury and not the circumstances of the incident that occurred. Whether you may be partially to blame due to carelessness will not impede or affect the decision-making process on your claim. The only exception to this rule is when intoxication is ruled to be involved in the incident.
Report Quickly.
You many not feel like your injury or accident is significant enough to bother reporting it. For example, you may feel fine and unhurt after a slip and fall accident but you should still report it. Injuries like twisted backs and joints may not show up for several hours or days after an incident. Just because you feel fine in the moment doesn’t mean that you won’t be affected later on. Your best bet is to report even the smallest injury or incident right away to protect yourself from issues with your claim down the road.
Lawsuits Are Optional.
Once you accept your Workers’ Compensation claim, you become automatically exempt from any further legal action against your employers. However, this does not limit you from filing a further negligence suit against a third party. If you were to be injured in the workplace by a piece of machinery that malfunctioned, you would be able to file a claim against the manufacturer directly. So if your regular claim is not going to be sufficient to maintain your care, medical bills and lost time, there are other avenues to investigate with your legal team.
