When can you claim for a workplace injury?

Employers have a legal duty to provide workers’ compensation insurance in order to protect the interests of their workers. This insurance allows for Tennessee workers to claim for loss of income and other expenses after suffering a workplace injury. There are many types of injuries for which you can claim, and the general rule is that should the injury in any way be connected to the requirements of a job or conditions in the workplace, you should be able to make a claim for compensation.

The question is – when is an injury work related?  The most obvious answer to this question is that if the injury happened while you were doing your job, it is a work related injury. This means that in most cases it would be an injury you suffered at your place of employment, but it may be that you suffered the injury at another location related to work or while in a company vehicle. In such instances, the injury will still be considered a workplace injury as long as you were doing something linked to your job.  In fact, if you are injured during an official social function organized by your employer, your injury can be considered a workplace injury.

Workplace injuries can vary greatly. It may even include something like lung cancer that resulted from working in a restaurant where smoking was allowed and you were exposed to second-hand smoke. Workplace injuries are also not only physical injuries but may be mental and/or emotional. Thus if you develop depression or anxiety due to the stress associated with your job, you may be covered under the workers’ compensation insurance.

If you are unsure if you can claim a workplace injury, either physically or mentally, you may benefit from consulting with a Tennessee lawyer to obtain advice on the possibility to file a workers’ compensation claim. Although, workers’ compensation claims should ideally be dealt with swiftly, this is not always the case. By getting the necessary advice from a lawyer, you will know if the claim will qualify as a work-related injury and how you should proceed.

Source: FindLaw, “What Types of Injuries are Compensable Under Workers’ Compensation?“, Accessed on June 7, 2015