Not Legal Advice: Workers' compensation (workers' comp) is a system that protects people who are injured on the job or contract an illness as a result of their job.
It is designed to ensure that employees who are injured or disabled on the job are provided with fixed monetary awards, eliminating the need for litigation. It also provides benefits for dependents of those workers who are killed because of work-related accidents or illnesses.
Some laws also protect employers and fellow workers by limiting the amount an injured employee can recover from an employer and by eliminating the liability of co-workers in most accidents. As per Cornell University Law School, State statutes establish this framework for most employment. Federal statutes are limited to federal employees or those workers employed in some significant aspect of interstate commerce.
Learn more about eligibility for workers' comp at Findlaw.com.
Regardless of what state you are from, you should not hesitate to consult with a lawyer if you were hurt at work and have questions or concerns. Check out 12 things you must do if you are hurt at work at Workerscompensationwatch.com.