Workers’ Compensation is designed to protect the interests of both employees and employers.
The Workers’ Compensation system protects the rights of injured employees. It also saves their employer from litigation that may arise out of a workplace accident or injury. It is as important for an employer to be educated about the Missouri workers’ compensation system as it is for an employee. In this post, we will discuss some things every employer should know about Missouri workers’ compensation.
Claims Are Often Unavoidable
People get injured while at work every now and then. Once an employee is injured, it is generally the responsibility of the employer to pay any medical bills that arise out of the injury or illness. The employee should also get fully compensated for lost wages. It is also worth noting that workers compensation policy is equally important for the employer as it is for the employee, because if there is no workers compensation policy, both parties will likely need to settle the matter in court. This is time consuming and there is no guarantee that the issue will be sorted fairly. Both parties also risk footing the full cost of litigation. It is therefore wise that every employer recognizes the fact that claims are often unavoidable and should come up with suitable employee compensation policies.
Exclusive Remedy
This is one term that employers should be aware of. Exclusive remedy is a term used to refer to s situation when an employee forfeits his/her right to sue their employer. In return, the employer is obligated to provide all benefits as outlined by the Missouri state statute, to the injured employee. Exclusive remedy calls for a lot of responsibility from both parties.
Educate Yourself on Missouri Workers’ Compensation Law
Worker’s compensation policies differ in various states. It is therefore important to know your state workers’ compensation law and its policies well. In some states, it is as simple as acquiring a policy from an insurance company, and you have your employees covered. For some it is more than that. As an employer take it upon yourself to familiarise yourself with these vital details.
The first report of injury should be reported as soon as an employee gets injured.
For quick settlement of workers’ compensation claims, it is highly advisable that an employer reports the injury to the insurance company without delay. This way, the insurance company involved can make arrangements to contact the injured employee as soon as possible. As an employer, you do not just report and leave it at that. In most cases it is the first time an employee has been injured and they might not be familiar with the procedure. It is therefore imperative that you get involved and assist the employee through the whole process. In many cases, when employers follow up on workers’ compensation claims, issues are resolved quicker, and employees are able to return to work quicker.
Kansas City Workers’ Compensation Lawyer
At the Law Office of James M. Hoffmann we have over 30 years of experience protecting the rights of injured Missouri workers. If you have been injured on the job, feel free to contact our law firm to schedule a free and private consultation with a highly qualified Kansas City workers’ compensation lawyer. Contact us today by calling (816) 399-3706 or by filling out our Online Contact Form.
photo credit: Trevor King 66 via Flickr