Workplace injuries and workers’ comp
Hurt at work?
If you are hurt on the job, workers’ compensation usually pays your medical bills and part of your lost wages, whoever was at fault. In return, most states do not let you sue your employer, apart from narrow exceptions. Most people go through this once. Workers’ comp insurers handle these claims every day.
Someone other than your employer may also be responsible: a contractor, a property owner, or the maker of a machine that failed. These guides explain both kinds of claim, and the short reporting deadlines that apply to injured workers. You shouldn’t have to become a legal expert to be treated fairly after a work injury.
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What to do first
Your first-week plan: four steps that protect your claim
Report the injury in writing
Tell your employer as soon as you can. Reporting deadlines can be short.
Get medical care
Tell the provider the injury happened at work.
Keep copies of everything
The report, your medical records, and every letter from the insurer.
Get help if something goes wrong
If the claim is denied, or someone other than your employer was involved, talk to a lawyer.
What waiting can cost
- Deadlines. Reporting deadlines for work injuries can be short, and so can the time to appeal a denied claim.
- Other claims. A claim against someone other than your employer has its own deadline.
Guides
Every guide in workplace injuries
- Complete Workers’ Compensation Guide
- Michigan Workers' Compensation: Benefits, Deadlines and How to File
- How is Workers’ Compensation Calculated?
- A Guide To Workers Compensation Settlements
- Workers Compensation vs. Personal Injury Claim
- When To Sue After a Workplace Injury
- Can You Be Fired While on Workers' Comp? Retaliation, Benefits and Your Rights
- 6 Most Common Workplace Accidents
- Complete Construction Site Accident Guide
What a good outcome looks like
Workers’ comp covers your medical bills and part of your lost wages, a denied claim is appealed in time, and any claim against someone else is protected.
Common questions
Can I sue my employer for a workplace injury?
Usually not. Workers’ compensation is generally the only remedy against your employer, with narrow exceptions, such as intentional harm, that vary by state. You may still have a claim against someone else who caused the injury.
What if my workers’ comp claim is denied?
You can usually appeal, and the time to do it can be short. A lawyer who handles workers’ compensation can explain how it works in your state.
Other injuries