Workers Compensation Act

All states have established some sort of workers compensation act, which provide financial benefits and compensation for employees who have suffered injuries or disability due to a work-related illness or injury.  By authorizing the payment of fixed monetary awards, depending in the nature and permanency of the work-related injury suffered by the employee, state workers’ compensation programs help decrease the potential for costly litigation in many cases, cap the amounts for which employers might be liable, and eliminate co-worker liability claims.  Additionally, most state workers’ compensation programs provide for survivors’ benefits, which are payable to the surviving dependent family members of an employee who was fatally injured during the course of employment. 

Workers Compensation Acts

Here are the following Acts for Workers Compensation Rights that have been mandated so far:

• FELA - Federal Employment Compensation Act
• OWCP - Office of Workers Compensation Programs
• FELA - Federal Employment Liability Act
• MMA - Merchant Marine Act
• LHWCA - Longshore & Harbor Workers Compensation Act
• BLBA - Black Lungs Benefits Act
• WARN - Workers Adjustment & Retaining Act

Workers Comp Laws

In order to fund workers’ compensation programs, states usually require some or all employers to maintain insurance sufficient to cover any workers’ compensation claims under state law.  Larger companies in some states are permitted to act as their workers’ compensation insurance carrier, and very small companies in other states are not required to maintain workers’ compensation insurance at all.  These state programs also typically establish some sort of public fund from which workers’ compensation claims are paid to workers whose employers have failed to maintain adequate or necessary insurance to pay out legitimate claims for their employees.  If your injury or illness is covered under your state’s workers’ compensation program, you are entitled to compensation, regardless of who was actually responsible for the work-related injury or illness.  However, there are some limits to the types of work-related injuries that workers’ compensation programs will cover.  For instance, if an employee is injured on the job because he was drinking alcohol or using illegal drugs, then the injury is not likely to be covered by most state workers’ compensation laws. 

Attorneys for Workers Compensation

A variety of attorneys nationwide are experienced in handling workers’ compensation cases, and working closely with the relevant state workers’ compensation office in order to assist their clients in getting benefits for their injury claims.  For assistance with a workers’ compensation claim, contact an attorney in your area that specializes in workers’ compensation law.