There are several laws that protect you if you are injured on the job and workers’ compensation laws are some of them. These laws were created to ensure that employees that become injured or even disabled due to their work would be provided with monetary awards in hopes of eliminating litigation needs. The laws provide benefits for the workers who are killed on the job as well so that dependents do not have to worry about their own well being as long as the death was due to a work-related accident. There are even some laws that protect employers by limiting the amount an employee can get from the company because of liability.
Workers’ compensation varies from state to state and if you feel you might have a case, you would need to contact a workers’ compensation lawyer in your state. Since the laws are different and often very complicated, it is best to have someone on your side that knows the laws in that particular region. Here are some of the complicated laws you might have to deal with in order to further your case.
The Federal Employment Compensation Act is a provision for workers’ compensation for federal employees that are not part of the military. These provisions are pretty typical in terms of laws of this nature. They limit awards for those who are disabled or for those who die while performing their duties at work, but another employee or intoxication or another source of incapacitation must not cause those injuries. The act will cover the medical expenses the person racks up due tot eh injury and the disability portion will give the person up to two-thirds of their normal pay during a certain amount of time. The act will also provide monetary awards to dependents of those who are killed while working.
The Federal Employment Liability Act is not a workers’ compensation law, but it provides those who are injured while working on interstate commerce jobs to be covered for their injuries if the employees are negligent and liable for the injury.
The Merchant Marine Act provides seamen with protection against their employers if the employer is negligent in a way that injures the employee.
And the Black Lung Benefits Act compensates miners who suffer from black lung diseases due to mine operations. This act also requires disability payments from an established fund to help the employee get by during the illness.
There are many other acts and laws that you might need to call upon for your particular case and a workers’ compensation lawyer will have the professional ability to tap into the laws that best suit your case. Since injury on the job is not something you deal with everyday, it is best to enlist the help of a workers’ compensation lawyer.
