Can You Get Workers’ Comp If You Get Hurt on Your First Day?
As a new employee, going in on your first day may be exciting and nerve-racking. The last thing you think would happen is getting hurt. Although it doesn’t happen often, it could happen to you. Usually, employees can seek workers’ compensation, but are you eligible for those benefits after working only a couple of hours? The short answer is yes.
Workers’ compensation eligibility
Typically, new employees have to undergo a grace period ranging from one to three months. During this time, they cannot receive benefits like PTO, health insurance, and sick days. Fortunately, workers’ compensation benefits can be accessed immediately. In addition, it does not matter how long or short an employee has been at a job; they are permitted to seek workers comp if injured.
A few requirements must be met to claim workers’ compensation benefits, but they are unrelated to the length of employment. The requirements include the following:
- The injury or illness happens during employment hours, either on-site or traveling.
- The injury or illness happens as a result of a job risk or hazard.
- The injury or illness causes you to miss at least eight or more work days.
Possible first-day injury situations
Suffering an injury on your first day of work is an unfortunate scenario for some employees. There are different ways you can get hurt on the job like:
- Poor training – Many types of occupations involve manual labor and the usage of heavy machinery. For these jobs, intensive training is necessary to protect the safety of employees. Lack of training or non-in-depth training can cause a worker or workers to get hurt.
- Unlucky accidents – Sometimes, no matter how much precaution is taken, work-related accidents happen.
- Insufficient safety equipment – Safety equipment is crucial for all employees, no matter what level of experience.
Report your injury no matter what
Being new, it is normal to not want to speak up, but not doing so can hurt the credibility of your workers’ comp case. Don’t be afraid to report your injury. You will not lose your job, it is, in fact, against the law for you to be fired for seeking workers’ comp benefits.
It’s also important to take the necessary steps to not only attain benefits but ensure your injury is properly treated. Seek medical care as soon as possible, and don’t worry about any financial burdens. Your medical bills can be covered through your workers’ comp benefits.
Need help with your workers’ compensation claim? Contact our law firm.
Workers’ compensation cases are all different, especially if your injury happened on the first day of work. The attorneys at The Law Offices of Deborah G. Kohl know exactly how overwhelming a situation like that can be. We take every case that comes our way seriously to help injured workers be fairly compensated. We have extensive experience dealing with workers’ compensation cases in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
If you’ve been injured on the job, contact us today for a free case evaluation. We have the answers to your questions. We have three offices located in Fall River, Foxborough, and Providence.