Knowing what's covered so you can get the benefits you deserve

Worker's compensation is meant to cover medical bills resulting from work-related injuries as well as partial salary for days you can't work, rehabilitation time, retraining and, in some cases, long-term disability. This coverage is for more than onsite injuries and work-related illnesses. There are many occupational accidents and health concerns that may entitle you to a worker's compensation claim.

Off-Site Injuries

While certain offsite situations such as your daily commute and lunch hour aren't covered, worker's compensation does extend to anything you do while performing the duties of your job. That means you're covered if injured while meeting with a client at another location or even if something happens while driving to and from such a meeting.

Occupational Diseases

Working in an industry that exposes you to chemicals or puts you in a situation where you may develop an injury from stress or repetitive use gives you grounds for worker's compensation claims. While most people think of filing claims for one-time accidents, conditions that appear over time as a result of your work environment are covered and should also be reported. Such conditions include illness, pain and impairments such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

Mental Health Claims

Certain mental health conditions may fall under the heading of occupational disease. Being injured on the job can be traumatic, and other situations such as undue long-term stress may bring about conditions such as depression or anxiety that impair your ability to do your job or live your life. If work is the root cause of your mental health concerns, you could have grounds for a worker's compensation claim.

Long-Term Coverage

Some on-the-job injuries take a long time to heal and can make it difficult for you to fulfill work duties until you've fully recovered. Worker's compensation should cover whatever loss of work time you have as a result of such an injury. If you suffer from a permanent disability or impairment that lowers your capacity to work or keeps you out of work entirely, you should be eligible to receive coverage in the long term. In the unlikely event that a work-related injury results in death, payments are extended to your family to cover expenses including burial.

If you believe you have a worker's compensation claim, contact Costner Law Group. When you call our Savannah office, we'll give you a free case evaluation to determine if your claim is viable and, if so, how to handle it. Whether it's an onsite injury or something that occurred while you were performing your job at another location, Costner Law Group can handle your case and make sure you get the benefits you deserve.