Understanding worker’s compensation coverage
Although some jobs, such as in the construction or transportation industries, put workers more at risk for injury than other lines of work, injuries can occur in any occupation. While every state has different worker’s compensation (WC) laws, in New Jersey all employers not covered by federal programs must have WC coverage or be approved for self-insurance.
After the accident, the employee should report the injury to their employer as soon as possible so that it is documented. It will be important that the injured worker see a doctor who is approved by the insurer, as well as to have documentation of the injury and the effect it is having on the individual’s quality of life.
Because some WC insurers can be unresponsive or delay evaluating claims, or even deny them altogether, an injured worker may face a frustrating maze of red tape.
Injuries covered by worker’s compensation in New Jersey
Depending on the profession, workers can be injured at work in a number of ways. New Jersey law recognizes two types of work-related injuries. The first is a single event episode such as a slip or fall on a construction site, or a back injury directly attributable to one incident of heavy lifting.
The second type of injury is caused by repetitive motion or stress to a particular part of the anatomy due to the nature of the work that the employee performs over a period of time. Office assistants who develop carpal tunnel syndrome from typing, masons who require knee surgery due to the stress of working on their knees, or construction or warehouse workers who develop herniated discs from heavy lifting are all examples of this type of work-related injury.
Both types of injury are covered under WC, and if they do not resolve after treatment may be assessed for a percentage of damage that is attributable to the workplace injury. This will translate into a monetary sum paid out as disability over a period of time. These benefits may be for temporary or permanent disability.
The Law Offices of Jonathon F. Marshall have offered extensive and specialized representation in New Jersey workers’ compensation courts throughout New Jersey for over 25 years. It can be indispensable to have skilled legal aid help you to fight for the benefits you should be getting if you have been injured on the job.