If you get injured on the job, you may qualify for workers’ compensation benefits. These can help to replace some of the wages that you will lose and they can cover your medical bills.
However, there are some cases in which workers’ comp will be denied. It’s important to understand why this happens so that you can consider what next steps to take – perhaps to appeal the decision. Here are three potential reasons.
You were injured in an accident during your commute
In some cases, workers get injured while they are driving to work or driving home during their daily commute. These workers may believe that they should be covered since they were going to their place of employment, but they are generally not covered unless they’ve already clocked in or been given a special assignment before arrival at the office.
The injury happened at home
In other cases, your employer may claim that you were actually injured at home and that you are just claiming it as a workplace injury to get coverage. This is why it’s important to document how the injury happened – and to report it quickly to your employer.
Horseplay was involved
Finally, even some workers who were injured on the job will be denied benefits if they were acting in an unsafe and intentional way that caused the injury. An example of this is if two workers are engaging in horseplay, leading to a fall that injures one of them.
You may be concerned that your claim will be denied. Perhaps your employer claims you got injured at home, for instance, when you know full well that the injury happened at work and that you deserve compensation. In a situation like that, it pays to know about all of your legal options.