After you’ve already injured yourself at work is not the time to wonder if you have workers’ compensation. Fortunately, workers’ compensation insurance is mandatory in most U.S. states. As an employer, you want to ensure that your workers’ compensation plan has extensive benefits. HH Insurance, your leading provider in homeowners insurance Tampa, works closely with our clients to assist them in selecting the right provider for workers’ compensation.
Odds are, if you’ve ever had the TV on for longer than five minutes, you’ve heard a commercial about workers’ compensation. It probably went something like this, “Are you eligible for workers’ compensation? Let our law office help you.” To know if you are eligible for compensation, you must know the requirements that need to be met to receive benefits. HH Insurance is here to help you understand workers’ compensation laws and how to know if you are eligible.
Are You An Employee?
Although knowing if you are classified as an employee at your company may seem obvious, what is considered an employee varies depending on the state in which you work. Actual employees and independent contractors are two different standards in the minds of workers’ compensation providers. One rule of thumb is that if you work specified hours in a certain location, then you are most likely considered an employee. On the other hand, contractors such as freelancers, part-time household staffing, and food delivery drivers may not be eligible.
Are You Insured?
By asking “Are you insured?”, we really want to know, “Is your employer insured?” As your local provider in homeowners insurance Tampa, HH Insurance emphasizes the importance of making sure your employer is covered by workers’ compensation insurance. Due to a 70-year old federal mandated law, the vast majority of companies in the United States do have workers’ compensation insurance. To learn more about your employer’s liability limits, you can visit the U.S. Department of Labor’s website.
Is It A Work-Related Injury?
Depending on your company’s policy, workers’ compensation benefits can cover a wide range of work-related injuries including on-site accidents, injuries that occur due to overuse over time, and exposure to dangerous conditions like unsafe chemicals or excessive noise. As of recently, some courts have extended benefits to cover injuries related to emotional or mental stress in addition to physical injuries.
Were You Timely?
Think about when a child gets hurt and they run to their parents right after crying to tell them about it. While you may not need to cry, you need to do the same thing as an employee when you report a work-related injury to your employer. Every state requires employees to file a workers’ compensation claim within a certain period of time. Be proactive and inform your employer of any work-related injury, in writing, promptly after it happens.
Were You Treated?
Just like with any other injury, you should seek treatment for any harm your experience at work. When you receive workers’ compensation benefits, you must attend your medical appointments for treatment. If not, you could be considered a “career claimant” in which you receive monetary benefits for an injury that you don’t deem worthy of treatment.
HH Insurance | Homeowners Insurance Tampa
Our agents at HH Insurance care about clients who are employers and their employees. Therefore, our workers’ compensation policy protects employers from costly lawsuits while also guaranteeing employees’ coverage in case of a work-related injury or illness. We hope that as an employee you now understand if you are eligible for workers’ compensation and the importance of making sure your employer is insured. To work with our HH Insurance agents in finding the best options for workers’ compensation coverage, contact our homeowners insurance Tampa providers today.
**This blog provides a brief overview of the terms and phrases used within the insurance industry. These definitions are not applicable in all states or for all insurance and financial products. This is not an insurance contract. Other terms, conditions and exclusions apply. Please read your official policy for full details about coverage. These definitions do not alter or modify the terms of any insurance contract.