When employees in Connecticut and elsewhere suffer a work injury, this can be a serious situation. In some cases, a work accident could leave an employee temporarily or permanently disabled. This can make it nearly impossible for the employee to work or return to work anytime soon. Such a matter could result in financial distress. However, workers’ compensation benefits could be claimed. These benefits not only help offset the burdens and hardships an injured worker might experience, it also places some responsibilities and requirements on an employer.
What responsibilities does an employer have in a workers’ comp claim? In most states in the U.S. employers are required to purchase workers’ compensation insurance, so this is typically the first responsibility. Thus, when a worker is injured, the claim is filed with the company’s workers’ comp insurance company.
In addition to supplying workers’ comp coverage for employees, employers also have to perform other duties in the workplace. This typically includes posting a notice in a conspicuous place that the employer is complying with workers’ comp laws, providing immediate emergency medical treatment for employees suffering on-the-job-injuries, providing further medical attention for those employees who are unable to obtain a doctor, complete an injury report following a work incident and mailing it to the nearest workers’ comp board office, maintain a written report of all personal injuries in the workplace and complying with all requests for information by the workers’ comp board regarding injured workers.
In addition to meeting these requirements, employers also have the duty to not retaliate for an employee seeking remedies following a work accident. Workers’ compensation is often considered the exclusive remedy for workplace injuries. Thus, employees must have safe access to this cure.
Following a workplace injury, employees are often overwhelmed by the situation. This can sometimes make it difficult to take immediate action. Nonetheless, if an employer has taken the proper steps, an employee should be able to access the necessary assistance to recover the workers’ compensation they need to address medical bills, lost wages and other damages.
Source: Findlaw.com, “Workers’ Comp: Employers’ Responsibilities,” accessed May 6, 2017
