Injuries at Work & Workers Compensation in Wisconsin
Workers Compensation laws are made to protect people who get injured at work. The main aim of these laws is to pay employees who suffered injuries with fixed amounts of money and to avoid lawsuits.
“Not only are employees covered with these programs but also their relatives.”
In certain cases, these laws also protect employers and co-workers or colleagues of the injured employee.
This is done by limiting the amount an employee can recover from its employer and by removing the liability of other employees in most accidents.
This framework is established for most of the employment by state statutes.
Federal statutes worry about federal employees and those workers working in some particularly important aspect of interstate commerce.
Injuries at work
Injuries at work happen more often than employers could even imagine. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports more than 3.1 million accidents at work every year.
“That is an average of 2.5 cases for every 100 workers.”
A work-related injury can cost employers millions of dollars in terms of medical care and lost wages.
Compensation
The main aim of workers compensation is thus to ensure that employees who got injured at their workplace are not required to pay for medical care and medical bills.
Also, they are provided with monetary awards for all the lost wages related to their accident. This compensation also covers any possible permanent physical impairment.
“Of course, employers are mostly worried about possible lawsuits that could prove guilt on their behalf.”
They agree on compensating workers for the pain they suffered, and workers agree not to sue them on the court. By acting like this, employers enclose themselves from being responsible for the accident.
The fairness of workers’ compensation is said to be very controversial because injured workers and their attorneys argue that the benefits and compensations should be a lot bigger.
“On the other side, employers and insurance firms claim there is too much fraud in the system that causes unnecessary costs.”
While most people think of compensation as of falling from a ladder at work, pulling their muscle or a back injury, few know that Workers Compensation will also pay for hearing aids.
People working in noisy places like airports for example can suffer serious hearing problems during their work-life. These problems count as injuries at work also and people should know they can get help from companies working with these kinds of situations.
“Johnson Law Offices are Hearing Loss Advocates and are experts in this field of working related injuries.”
Benefits for injuries at Work & Workers Compensation in Wisconsin exist, just as there are for an injured leg, arm or back. Johnson Law Offices designed a legal services program to assist Wisconsin workers to claim benefits for their hearing loss and get hearing aids.
Four major disability compensation programs provided to federal employees injured on work
- Wage replacement benefits
- Medical treatment
- Vocational rehabilitation
- Other benefits
Individuals injured on the job while being employed by private firms or state local government agencies should contact their state workers compensation board.
Steps to take when injured on work
- Seek treatment and obtain workers’ compensation medical certificate from a doctor
- Tell your employer about the injury as soon as possible
- Request a claim form from your employer
- Complete the claim form and give it to your employer together with the medical certificate
- The insurer will notify both the employer and worker within 3 days and provide all necessary information about workers/employers rights, roles, and responsibilities
