[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/do-you-know-if-youre-eligible-to-receive-workers-compensation\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/do-you-know-if-youre-eligible-to-receive-workers-compensation\/","headline":"Do You Know If You’re Eligible to Receive Workers’ Compensation?","name":"Do You Know If You’re Eligible to Receive Workers’ Compensation?","description":"How do you know if you\u2019re eligible to\u00a0receive workers\u2019 compensation after sustaining an injury at work? If you fall sick as a direct result of your job, what benefits are you entitled to \u2013 if any? While you may qualify for compensation for medical bills and loss of income, it...","datePublished":"2016-09-27","dateModified":"2025-01-29","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/author\/puttingpeoplefirst\/#Person","name":"Underwood Law LLC","url":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/author\/puttingpeoplefirst\/","identifier":8,"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb6205a3d1f6a31659220b0b5f3faafdc2850d6a558e85ff3f28182ee73ad1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/bbcb6205a3d1f6a31659220b0b5f3faafdc2850d6a558e85ff3f28182ee73ad1?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Underwood Law LLC","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/William-F-Underwood-Logo.png","url":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/William-F-Underwood-Logo.png","width":448,"height":96}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Add-a-little-bit-of-body-text-3.png","url":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/09\/Add-a-little-bit-of-body-text-3.png","height":800,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/do-you-know-if-youre-eligible-to-receive-workers-compensation\/","about":["Workers' Compensation"],"wordCount":500,"articleBody":"How do you know if you\u2019re eligible to\u00a0receive workers\u2019 compensation after sustaining an injury at work? If you fall sick as a direct result of your job, what benefits are you entitled to \u2013 if any? While you may qualify for compensation for medical bills and loss of income, it can be tricky to figure out if you meet the basic eligibility requirements. Here are a few easy ways to determine your eligibility for workers\u2019 compensation as you consider seeking legal counsel.Are you an employee?It sounds obvious, sure, but not all workers are technically employees \u2013 at least when determining workers\u2019 compensation eligibility. Take contractors, for example A freelance graphic designer who is brought in for a specific job or jobs does not qualify for benefits should they get sick while working \u2013 even if it\u2019s on site. An independent contractor does not equal an employee. That being said, it\u2019s not uncommon for employers to incorrectly classify their employees as independent contractors and subsequently withhold benefits.Then, there are volunteers. This one may seem obvious, too, but there are some instances in which the state gives an organization the option of providing\u00a0coverage to their volunteers.Does your employer have workers\u2019 compensation?This is a big one: Not all employers are required to have workers\u2019 compensation coverage for their employees. Usually the number of employees, the line of work, and the actual labor the employees are performing determine whether or not an employer is responsible for having workers\u2019 compensation, but it can vary from state to state. However, on the whole, most employers across the county are required to provide coverage for their employees. And this comes by way of either purchasing insurance, or by self-insuring.For federal employees, the compensation system set in place\u00a0by the government\u00a0determines your eligibility \u2013 not necessarily the state.Was your injury or illness actually work-related?If you\u2019re an employee and your employer does provide workers\u2019 compensation, the final step in determining if you\u2019re eligible is if you were injured, or took ill, while performing your job. This one is by no means a no-brainer, and may actually be the trickiest. For example, what if you were injured in the company car while running an errand for your supervisor? What if you get sick at a gala hosted by your boss, after hours?If your injury or illness is not as obviously a direct result of performing your job, you may want to\u00a0seek legal counsel. Generally speaking, if you were hurt on the job, and you\u2019re an employee and your employer provides coverage, you\u2019re eligible to receive workers\u2019 compensation.Never rule out your eligibility if your situation is unique and doesn\u2019t hit all three requirements listed above. Seek legal counsel. Don\u2019t pass up the opportunity to receive help and compensation if you\u2019re entitled to it.Give us a call at the Underwood Law LLC, and we\u2019ll get you the help you need."},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Blog","item":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Do You Know If You’re Eligible to Receive Workers’ Compensation?","item":"https:\/\/www.puttingpeoplefirst.law\/blog\/do-you-know-if-youre-eligible-to-receive-workers-compensation\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]