Employees have to accept a degree of risk related to their jobs. People in customer service never know when a patron might become aggressive. Factory workers can end up hurt if a machine malfunctions. There are hazards associated with every career. Most employers provide training and equipment to minimize the risks workers face.
More importantly, they also have an obligation to provide workers’ compensation coverage for all of their direct-hire employees. Workers’ compensation benefits can help injured professionals replace their lost wages. Workers’ compensation can also pay for health care costs. Most people injured at work are eligible for workers’ compensation benefits. However, some employees may worry about whether they should pursue a claim. They may fear that their personal fault could prevent them from getting benefits.
Can an employer deny an employee workers’ compensation coverage because they were at fault for an incident?
Fault rarely influences benefits
With many types of injury claims and insurance, fault is the most important consideration. In a car crash scenario, the driver at fault provides liability coverage that reimburses the people dealing with damaged vehicles or injuries. In a work injury scenario, fault does not influence the claims process.
Workers’ compensation is a form of no-fault protection. Workers are eligible regardless of who is at fault. They do not need to show that the employer violated safety regulations or was negligent about training. They also have no reason to fear becoming ineligible if they are to blame for the incident. Even if an employer can show that they dropped a piece of equipment on their own leg, causing their knee injury, the worker is still likely eligible for benefits.
In extreme cases, fault could lead to a more complex claims process. In cases where workers may have failed a drug or alcohol test, employers could dispute a claim if they can show that intoxication was the likely cause of the injury. There may also be questions about benefit eligibility in scenarios where workers may have injured themselves on purpose. In the vast majority of cases involving accidents and mistakes, fault does not influence workers’ compensation benefits.
Getting accurate information about workers’ compensation can help employees defray their losses after a work incident. Those with unusual circumstances may need assistance throughout the claims process, beginning with information about their rights immediately after their injury, and that’s okay.
