What Kind Of Accidents Can You Get Workers Comp For?

You may know that workers' comp helps you if you get hurt at work, but you may not know exactly what that applies to. That could lead to you not knowing you're eligible to make a claim. Here are some different types of workplace accidents you could file for.

Slip and Falls

You may be injured if you slip and fall on a wet or otherwise slippery surface. You may also fall off of a ladder or walkway if you're working overhead.

The tricky part of a slip and fall claim is that you may not think it was your employer's fault. First, many states don't require fault for a workers' comp claim. The mere fact that you got hurt at work is enough to have a claim without having to prove your employer had fault for the accident.

Second, the fall may not have legally been your fault. Even if you think there was some sort of way you could have noticed the hazard and avoided falling, that doesn't mean your employer has no responsibility. The accident could have been caused by their failure to provide proper training, lack of maintenance, or not having proper safety precautions in place.

Accidents Caused by a Coworker

If your coworker caused an accident, you may mistakenly believe that you'd need to sue your coworker. This is usually false. Most employees are immune to lawsuits when performing their assigned job tasks. Someone injured by an employee would have a claim against the employer instead.

Your coworker causing an injury is also a potential hazard of having a job. That makes it clearly covered by workers' comp.

Auto Accidents

Auto accidents also need special consideration. If you're injured in an auto accident at work, you have the same right to recover as you would in any other accident. Exactly how would depend on the type of accident.

If the accident is in a work vehicle with another work vehicle, this would likely fall entirely under workers' comp. If you drive around for work and get in an accident with a third party, you would both have the right to sue them as well as file a workers' comp claim. However, you only have a right to a full recovery not to collect from both types of insurance. You would make both an auto insurance and workers' comp claim then leave the insurance companies to fight over who pays what.

To learn more about your eligibility for workers' comp, contact a local workers' comp attorney today.

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